


Jigsaw Falling Into Place

by what_about_the_fish



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Castiel, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe, F/F, F/M, Graphic Descriptions of Injuries, Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Memory Loss, Omega Dean, Slow Burn, Soulmates, more to be added as i go
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-05
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-02 23:51:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 25,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4078642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/what_about_the_fish/pseuds/what_about_the_fish
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starting afresh is not always easy, especially with a feeling of fear set deep in your very being.  This omega is a mystery to everyone including himself. Lost, alone and with no memory he tries to carve out a place for himself in the world, making new memories and a family he can call his own.  But nothing stays perfect forever, how long will it be before it all comes crashing down?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone
> 
> This is very much a WIP but the story is crowding my head and needs to come out so here it is.  
> This will be epic and long so hold on tight if you decide to join me on this journey.  
> It will be completed I can promise that, as the sequel and the companion piece are already running amok in my brain!  
> I will be posting slowly to start while I finish up my DCBB, but I have a few chapters mostly ready to go, so never fear!  
> I'm still pretty new to all this, so your kudos and comments fuel me. Feel free to pop on over to my Tumblr and say hi I'm friendly I promise x http://whataboutthefish.tumblr.com/
> 
> Also I'd like to send a massive shout out to Amber for reading this a gazilion times and editing like a pro and also to Jenn for beta badassery.
> 
> Alright now that's all done lets do it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING 
> 
> this fic is not being updated until it is complete. the chapters here will be edited and changed up.
> 
> I am keeping it here so I can look at the beautiful comments I received whenever i'm feeling at a loss for words and motivation.
> 
> Never fear it will be finished, I can promise you that!

The rain was coming down so hard he could barely see. How long had he been walking? How had he gotten here? Where was here?

The smell of panic and fear plagued his nostrils. It couldn’t be coming from him. He had never scented anything so bitter and sharp coming off his skin before… or had he? It had never smelt so intimately like himself, but those scents, they weren’t foreign to him were they?

Why was his brain so clouded? He couldn’t think straight, couldn’t grasp a thought long enough to process it. Ideas won't string together. Slipping from his grip before he could piece them together. 

His body was starting to let him down. There was a pounding in his head that wouldn’t stop, it was hard to breathe through his nose, and he could barely open one eye. As he pushed forward through the rain, a bubble of blood trickled down into his throat, causing him to cough. The pain that seared through his body made him drop to his knees, heavy and hard. As he tried to hug himself to ease the pain shooting through his chest, he discovered he couldn’t move his right arm. Glancing at his shoulder, he saw it bulging out at a sickeningly unnatural angle; what skin that was left on his right side was red, ripped, and ragged, and it was then he felt the sting of the rain hitting the broken skin.

He was naked. Why was he naked? He felt a shiver run involuntarily through his body as if the realization that he was devoid of clothes suddenly made him feel the exposure to the elements.

Underneath the pain and the chill lay something more, something that left him craving, needing, wanting… What?... He felt something thicker than water traveling it’s way down his thighs, pooling under his body where he had fallen. With his good arm he reached down between his legs to inspect this foreign substance. Was it blood? As his hand moved down it grazed past his now painfully hard erection. How had he not felt this before? It was like each part of his body was a jigsaw piece, which he was unable to see as a whole, when a new piece was discovered the old piece was discarded and forgotten.

He wondered how he could be so hard at a time like this, just the briefest touch had sent shivers up his body, shifting his focus to the pain in his ribs again, before he was able to refocus on the substance between his legs.

Swiping his fingers through the liquid, he brought them up to his face, where his senses were overwhelmed with the most intimate smell of himself. Desire and arousal swelled through him. He was compelled to lick his fingers clean and that intimate action took his brain to another place causing him to come hard, with a cry, pleasure and pain moving through his body in a battle of wills.

Once he was able to gain control of his breathing and his body, he realized this release seemed to have cleared his head enough for him to keep moving forward. Gingerly he got to his feet again and continued to walk.

Through the rain, he makes out lights in the distance. Not enough to be a town, maybe a gas station or shop? Whatever the destination was, it was his goal. Keep moving forward one foot in front of the other, keep on moving.

It felt like hours had passed before the blurred lights became buildings and windows, in fact it looked to be a junk yard, there were piles of cars and parts strewn around. 

Walking in, he thought maybe he could take shelter in the garage over to his right. He noted the name of the place written on an arch under which gates must have hung at some point a long time ago. 

Singer’s Salvage Yard appeared to be a run down junk yard, once much loved and looked after perhaps, but now the rust was over running everything, there was a beat up old wooden house to one side of the yard, and a garage in worse shape to the other.

He was walking towards the garage when he heard the sound, something all too familiar but he couldn’t quite grasp what it was. When he spun around in the direction of the sound, he was met with the barrel of a shotgun trained at his head.

The man behind the shotgun let out a “Goddammit!” That was the last thing he heard before the world went black.

……..

Bobby Singer led a simple, quiet life. He had his house, his junkyard and his whiskey. He didn’t need a lot to keep him content these days. He wouldn’t say he was particularly happy, he hadn’t been happy since his family and his sweet Karen left his world, but life was easy, life was one practiced routine after another and he was quite alright with that thank you very much.

He smelled the boy before he saw him. The overpowering mixture of heat, fear, and panic coming off him was so strong that even the torrential rain did little to dampen the potency. 

Bobby took up his shotgun. He wasn’t used to visitors this far out from town during the day, let alone at night during a storm. 

He walked out onto the porch of his home, and saw the pathetic sight stumble along his driveway heading towards the garage. 

The boy was naked, visibly injured, and more notably, in heat. Now, he was no expert in the ways of omegas these days, but he was pretty sure one wasn’t going to be walking around beat up, devoid of clothing, and in heat unless bad shit had gone down.

 

Bobby trained the shotgun on the back of the boy’s head, cocking the trigger, the sound causing him spin around.

His green eyes stared blankly at the barrel of the gun, the boy’s face was a mess, his nose obviously broken, one eye swollen shut. The boy swayed for a moment and Bobby knew what was about to happen swearing under his breath just before the boy crumpled into a messy heap on the ground.

Bobby scooped up the boy gingerly, he really was a disaster. He brought him into the house placing the omega on the hastily cleared dining room table so he could assess the damage.

He grabbed the blanket from the couch and wrapped the omega up in it. The smell of heat was filling his house, sure it made him feel slightly uncomfortable, but he hadn’t been interested in another omega since he met the sunshine of his life nearly 40 years ago. 

Bobby and Karen had courted the summer of ‘75 and were mated the following fall. Life had never been better. His beautiful mate was his world, she still was, but now he was patiently waiting for the time that they would be joined again in the afterlife. When they would have their own slice of heaven together forever. 

He had no regrets of having mated young, even if he was now destined to spend the rest of his life alone. He had known the unimaginable joy of a soul mate and nothing in this world could take that away. 

You see, soul-mates mated for life. You only get one chance if you find the one, but one chance is all you need to spend your life with the person that is biologically, physically, and emotionally made for you.

Bobby rummaged through the kitchen cupboards under the sink trying to find his old first aid kit, muttering to himself how he’d really let the place go to shit recently. Finally placing his hands on the little green case, he pulled it out and over to the table where the omega lay unconscious.

He pulled out the antiseptic and bandages, dressings and tape. He hoped nothing needed stitching as he didn’t have the right equipment here, but his experience as a medic in the army would no doubt come in handy, especially with putting that shoulder back into joint.

Bobby did a quick assessment of the wounds, letting out a sigh of relief when nothing life threatening presented itself. Taking a steadying breath, he knew his first order of action would need to be relocating the omega’s shoulder while he was still unconscious.  
He balanced himself on the table getting his weight at the right angle to use to his advantage to move the joint into place. When he was ready he pulled, the joint must have been out for a while because the muscles were tight and unrelenting. Repositioning himself at another angle he tried again, this time feeling the bones move as they slowly slipped back into place with a satisfying pop.

Damn, was he happy the omega wasn’t awake for that, it would not have been pretty.

Next he took to cleaning all the omega’s wounds. The right side of his body was all torn up, the injuries looking suspiciously like road burn. Where had this young man come from? Who was he running from? Surely Bobby and he had crossed paths as a result of the omega trying to escape whoever had done these terrible things to him.

Bobby bound the boy’s ribs, which were surely broken if the bruising was any indication. He set his nose to a more natural angle and covered all the cuts and scrapes with ointment and bandages. Lastly, he bundled the omega up in his arms, moving him to the spare room where he would have a comfortable bed to lie in. Once he was on the mattress, Bobby wrapped the young omega in a blanket before placing some frozen peas over his swollen eye. Leaving the night lamp on and the door ajar, he then left the room. 

Damn, he needed a drink. 

Pouring himself a good strong whiskey, Bobby sat down at the table, blowing out a frustrated puff of air through his mouth. What in the hell had happened? What was he going to do with this omega? 

The boy was obviously in a bad way, but surely there was someone out there looking for him, maybe a mate worried out of their mind, or a mother unable to sleep while their son was missing.

No, it wasn’t a mate, he was sure. He hadn’t seen a mating bite on his neck, and now, come to think of it, the boy definitely didn’t smell mated. 

Huh. Maybe he was one of those omegas forced into prostitution that he’d been reading about in the news recently. That might explain why he was running away, he certainly had the looks for it, even with the state of his face, he could tell this omega was handsome, he must have been in his early 20’s although with such a baby face it was hard to tell. He was big for an omega, solid build, he appeared strong and, in relatively good health asides from the injuries. This speculation was getting away from him, no, Bobby would wait until the omega woke, surely he’d get some answers then.

\------------

He woke up hyperaware of every part of his body. He was stiff and sore practically from head to toe, the sheets tangled around his legs and sticking to his sweat slick skin. 

Opening his eyes felt like he was peeling open a sticky envelope, they were crusted with sleep, his right eye refusing to cooperate at all. Gingerly he moved his hand to his face, wincing in pain when he felt the soft swelling of his cheek and eye under his fingertips. 

Becoming more aware of his surroundings, a panic swept over him, the events of the past evening coming back to him in flashes. He remembered walking into a junkyard, then nothing. Trying to force his mind further back it was blank, just a dark chasm of nothingness. The unease he felt was bubbling up into his belly, causing his damp skin to perspire more.

Again that other feeling was there too, but much less pronounced than last night. He saw the hardness of his erection tenting the sheets, and knew the dampness of the sheets below him was from himself. However, try as he might, he just couldn’t understand what was wrong with him. Instinct knew he wanted something, wanted someone, but this was all new, so new, so confusing.

Dropping back down to the pillows he let out a groan. He didn’t know anything. Should he be scared? Should he be running? Should he be fucking? It was all too much! He just wanted to close his eyes and have his troubles disappear.

Meanwhile, the heat coursing through his body seemed tied up with his arousal, driving him crazy with need. Absentmindedly, he started to stroke his throbbing erection, instantly feeling a simmer of relief in the pit of his stomach. He came quickly, surprising himself and letting out a quiet sigh as the heat in his blood cooled slightly.

He drifted back off to sleep after that, tossing, tossing and turning in the sweat soaked sheets. At one point, he jolted awake at the feeling of a searing pain streaking through his body having moved the wrong way, aggravating one of his injuries. However, sleep was able to take hold almost instantly and he nodded off again, his slumber broken and unrestful. 

He awoke sometime later, the sun hanging low through the window, casting a golden orange glow into the small room. A grumble emanated low in the pit of his stomach, he was suddenly overcome with hunger. The sweat and need from earlier had subsided again, leaving just the aches permeating throughout his whole body. 

He got out of bed, moving on his shaky legs over to a dresser where there was a pile of clean clothes sat laid out for him. He slipped the old tracksuit pants and t-shirt on his sore body, wincing at the pain coming from his shoulder as he raised the shirt over his head.

Time to figure out where he was, he thought to himself as he slowly hobbled over to the door and tried the handle. The handle turned easily, with relief he let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, he wasn’t locked in. Not a prisoner then, or at least not confined to his room.

Moving into the main house, he took in his surroundings. It was a small home, clearly loved at some point in its history but had long since been given up on. The living room was strewn with books, papers, and various piles of god knows what. Dust was visible on every surface and empty bottles of beer and whiskey were scattered throughout. The furniture was old and worn, a couch which looked pretty comfortable, was threadbare and stained with years of use.

He heard a rustling noise coming from around the corner, and he tensed with fear, frozen to the spot. He could smell them now, musky, woody and like old leather, mated, but the scent was off, it was stale. Alpha… the word appeared in his head, he knew what this was, instinct was taking over his brain, he wanted to drop to his knees, avert his gaze, submit… realization dawning on him… he was omega. However, he forced himself to push the thought aside, too much to deal with at once.

 

The alpha made his way into the living room, and jumped about 10 feet in the air at the sight of the omega standing there.

“Goddammit boy!” The older man yelped out. 

He felt himself cower at the tone of the alpha’s voice. Suddenly shaking so violently he collapsed forward onto his knees. Suddenly, the man was moving forward, reaching out for him as he hastily uttered an apology.

 

“Sorry son, you just gave me fright is all, no need to be ‘fraid I ain’t gonna hurt ya.” The alpha spoke quickly, in soothing soft tones, trying to comfort him, but not wanting to scare him off anymore than he had. He accepted the strangers offered hand as he moved him towards the couch.

“Sit down son, here I’ll go get you a drink, something warm, yeah, you just stay put. You’ll be right in a moment.” The alpha left towards what must be the kitchen, leaving him to curl in on himself on the worn couch.

Coming back a few moments later, the older man slipped a cup of something warm into his hands. He lifted it tentatively to his face, giving it a careful sniff. It smelled comforting, rich and earthy. He took a sip, eyes darting to the alpha as the warm liquid reached his lips.

“S’only coffee boy, won’t hurt ya go on.” The stranger coaxed gently, and he felt the tension and fear slowly drift out of him as he drank down the offered drink. His stomach chose that moment to make another loud grumble and he looked sheepishly up from his emptied cup to see the man’s reaction.

“Alright boy, you must be starving, come on into the kitchen and see if this old dog can’t rustle ya up somethin’ to eat.” He followed the alpha into the kitchen, like the rest of the house it was old and worn, but it was clean, except for the pile of dishes in the sink.

He sat at the offered stool against the bench as the stranger started to busy himself getting things out of the fridge and pantry, pulling pans out of cupboards. “An omelet ok?” the alpha asked. He stared blankly at him. Not sure what it was, he just shrugged.

“Big talker ain’t ya? Look, probably should have introduced myself sooner, name’s Bobby Singer and this here’s my place. Just me here, but you’ve nothing to worry yourself bout, I’m a souler, and lost my love 20 years ago… so son, you got a name?” 

He looked to the alpha, taking in everything he said. Rolling the information over in his mind, he tried to form a picture, put the pieces of the puzzle together. He opened his mouth to speak, closing it again, what would he say? He hardly knew what he was, where he was, let along who he was. He looked to the older man, ducking his head when Bobby gave him a sad look.

“S’ok son, I don’t know what you’re running from, but you’re safe here, nothing to worry bout. You tell me when you’re good ‘n ready, now here eat up.” Bobby slid a plate of eggs and vegetables over and handed him a fork.

He ate greedily, shoveling the food into his mouth like he hadn’t eaten in days, and maybe he hadn’t. In any case, the food was delicious. He felt it revitalizing his body, giving him strength with every bite. He was finished and feeling sated in no time at all. He looked up from his plate when he was done, Bobby was just staring at him with kind eyes. 

“Thank you.” He managed to rasp out, his throat feeling rough with disuse. His voice sounded strange to his ears, it was deep and gravelly, so unfamiliar. He didn’t feel as if he was used to speaking.

“You’re welcome son.” Bobby said to him, taking his plate and putting it in the sink with the others that were waiting to be washed. “Alright, now let me check those injuries of yours, I’m gonna need to change some of the dressings, and see that your arms doing ok.” 

Bobby led him through to the living room where he got him to sit on the edge of the couch.

“Can you take your shirt off for me? That’s a good kid.” He raised the shirt with his good arm, slowly slipping it off his head. Bobby moved to place his hands gently on his shoulder, he winced slightly at the shock of the older man’s cold touch but the pain was dull. Bobby checked the range of movement of his shoulder, he didn’t feel the pain nearly as much. “Ok, that seems to be lookin’ much better, you should have seen the state of you last night. I’m just glad you’d already passed out is all I can say. Now let’s see those cuts.” 

Bobby methodically removed the bandages; wiping the wounds clean and applying cream to them before wrapping him back up in fresh ones. “Looks like you’ll heal up nicely, nothing to worry about. Those ribs will take a while to heal but other than that, you look like you got off lucky.” Bobby said earnestly.

Bobby was caring for him so kindly, he felt a sudden wave of affection for this man, this stranger. He opened his mouth, wanting to tell him how grateful he was, that he felt safe here. Tentatively, he gave it another go. 

“T-t-thank you, Bobby.” He stuttered trying to find his voice, “I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t found me.” He felt like it was going to come pouring out of him now. “I-I-I ugh” He sighed, maybe this was all too much too soon.

“S’right boy, take a breath, everything’s alright.” Bobby coaxed.

He took another deep breath, steadied himself, “I don’t know where I am, I don’t know how I got here, I don’t know who I am…” He started to curl in on himself, sinking into the couch burying his head in his hands. He was sobbing now, tears flowing out of him, the sobs racking his body and sending shooting pain through his ribs. Once he’d begun, he couldn’t stop, the tears just kept flowing.

He didn’t know if Bobby was speaking to him, but the time passed and he found himself on the couch in the quiet of the house, a blanket wrapped around him. Fatigue took him suddenly and he closed his red-rimmed eyes, almost instantly falling into a deep sleep.

\---------

He woke up to the sun blaring in though the windows. Temporarily disorientated, he flipped off the couch, legs all twisted up in the blanket and landing in a crumpled heap on the floor, immediately letting out a yelp when his bad arm shot out to brace his fall. Feeling foolish, he quickly slipped out of the tangled mess moving more gingerly to the kitchen. His mouth was parched, his throat sore, and his eyes felt hot and sensitive. Images of the previous night flashed before him again, he had confessed to Bobby. Surely the Alpha would kick him out now, who wants a broken omega in their home, he would try and get him back to wherever he came from, or worse hand him into the authorities. 

That thought, caused his blood to run ice cold. No. That couldn’t happen, he didn’t know why but just the thought of it was enough to make him start to shake, panic bubbling up out of him. He took a deep breath trying to push it back down, he would deal with that when it happened. For now he needed water.

Bobby was in the kitchen nursing a cup of coffee, he looked up over to him and broke the silence in the room. “Gee boy I was going to ask how you slept, but you look like you’ve seen a ghost, you’re white as a sheet. Here sit down, let me get you some coffee.” Bobby pulled out a stool for him, and moved over to the coffee maker on the counter.

“Could I have a water please?” He asked meekly. The alpha looked over to him with a kind smile and a laugh, “Sure thing son.” Bobby put the glass in front of him, and he guzzled it down greedily. “Another?” Bobby asked, his eyebrow raised quizzically. He nodded slightly and accepted the offered glass.

“So I been thinking son, you need a name, something I can tell people if anyone asks. So how bout it, doesn’t happen often, you should be honoured. You wanna pick something out yourself?” 

He looked quizzically to the Alpha. Pick a name? He hadn’t even thought about how he might interact with people, he hadn’t really thought outside of the four walls of this house, and before that, his thoughts had been so jumbled they just didn’t count. What would he choose?

Looking around for a moment, to see if anything would inspire him, jog his memory anything, his eyes landed on a picture set reverently on a sideboard. The picture was clean, looked like it was handled often, whereas everything else around it had a layer of dust an inch thick. In the picture was what looked to be Bobby, much younger, with a beautiful blonde woman laughing, beside them were two young children, one was taller than the other and was holding up a toy of some sort just out of reach of the other who looked to be trying with all their might to grab whatever it was which was in the other boy’s hand.

“Dean.” He blurted out, shocked at having even spoken, for his brain hadn’t even registered the thought.

“Dean,” Bobby said as if mulling the name over, getting a feel for it. “S’great name boy, Dean it is.” He said as he clapped him on the back and gave him a big smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a quick note to say that this is set in a fictional town in Kansas. I wanted to make it as realistic as possible but being an aussie who's never visited the states I thought this was the safer bet. Let me know if I get anything horribly wrong won't you! 
> 
> I'd also like to thank LittleAngelCassie, Anc and Paperann for all the beta, editing and support with this chapter. You guys rock x
> 
> Ok let the mystery continue...

As time passed, Dean’s injuries started to heal, and his body was getting stronger each day. Over the course of a week, the pain in his ribs had begun to dull and became less constant. This, as a result, made him feel more alive than he had since he’d stumbled his way into Bobby’s life.

 

He was still sleeping a lot; always waking up to a pot of coffee and something to eat.  He didn’t speak much in that time, but Bobby didn’t seem to be a big talker - so it suited them both to just sit in comfortable silence when they were in the same room.

 

Dean explored the house after a while, getting braver in the alpha’s presence and slowly growing restless from spending all day in bed, or on the couch.  He found Bobby’s extensive library of books, there was a vast amount of non-fiction on just about any topic you could think of.  However, it was his collection of sci-fi that really caught Dean’s attention.  The idea of being drawn into another world, a whole other planet or time settled him, helped him escape the emptiness within.  He spent hours reading, in the first week devouring three books.

 

Dean felt compelled to keep his mind busy, whenever he stopped reading or wandering around the house, his thoughts would start to stray.  He would come back to himself in the weirdest places, finding himself frozen to the spot, a sheen of sweat covering him and a tremor running through his body.  He never had any flashes of memory.  He still had no idea who he was, or where he had come from - but he had this overriding feeling that he was running, and he was scared. Boy, was he scared.

 

                                                                                                                                             --------

 

Bobby busied himself most days out in the yard, working on whatever car was in the garage. Business was slow but it wasn’t nonexistent, and he needed to be careful to stay on top of things whilst the mysterious omega was in his house.

 

Bobby’s thoughts often turned to the omega’s identity. The mystery surrounding Dean was starting to niggle at him, his desire to get to the bottom of the boy’s story came to a head one afternoon, which found him walking into the kitchen to broach the subject with the skittish omega.

 

He found Dean sitting at the bench, a book in hand and a steaming cup of coffee placed in front of him.  He cleared his throat as he entered, to get the omega’s attention.

 

Dean looked up with a start and gave Bobby a small smile.

 

“I’ve been thinking, son…” Bobby announced, careful to keep his face neutral. He didn’t want to overwhelm the boy. “We need to see about getting you some clothes of your own, and maybe heading to the sheriff’s office to see if we can’t find out who you are.”    
  
  
Bobby stopped, Dean was looking at him, face suddenly drained of all color.  His eyes were wide with fear. He looked as if he were about to sprint, or faint.  The scent of panicked omega was pouring off him, and filling the small room with its acrid burn.

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa there, boy, it’s ok.  We ain’t gotta do nothing you don’t wanna do, you know you’re welcome here as long as you want.  Jody, the sheriff, she’s a good friend of mine.  I just got to thinking we might be able to find some clues, maybe get you back to those who care about you, y’know, before all this happened.” He made a gesture with his hand to glance over Dean’s face.   
  
The omega subconsciously raised his hand to touch the swollen skin, flinching at the forgotten pain, a small tear falling from the injured eye, running down his mottled cheek.

 

“But calm down now, son, we can go at your pace, we can just tell people you are a visiting nephew for now, how’s that sound?”

 

Bobby rushed over to the omega, wrapped him up in an awkward hug patting Dean’s back trying to sooth the poor boy.  After a few minutes, he drew back to look at Dean, he was looking less scared but still quite pale.

 

“Please Bobby, I don’t know why, but please, I don’t want to be found, please.”  Dean grabbed at the alpha’s arm begging him with every inch of his being.

 

“S’okay, boy, we won’t tell nobody, it’s ok.”  Bobby whispered to Dean in low soothing tones.  
  
Dean looked to the alpha, looking slightly more settled but completely wrecked.  He got up quietly, mumbling about needing to sleep and slinked away to his room.

 

The puzzle of the omega’s identity was even greater now, but he knew one thing, the boy needed anonymity and he needed some place safe to stay, and Bobby was just glad that he had been the one to find the boy that night.  He didn’t think any other alpha would have been so helpful.

 

                                                                                                                                         --------

 

That night, Dean’s sleep was broken and littered with horrors. Panic and fear were the only things he could hold onto, as he tossed and turned in bed.  When the nightmares started, he’d wake with a scream, the veil of darkness falling away as soon as he was aware of his surroundings.  The only thing that lingered was the echoing sounds of gunshots, the smell of gunpowder clawing at the back of his throat.

 

He woke to a soft knocking at his door, and Bobby coming in holding a fresh cup of coffee in his hand.

 

“You up to heading into town today?  I got to get some bits from the hardware store, and pick up some food.  Thought we could get you those clothes we were talking about.”  Bobby was speaking hesitantly to avoid startling the omega.

 

Dean nodded, taking the offered coffee.

 

“Thought maybe if you were up to it, we could stop in at the diner for lunch.  They have the best pie in the state,” Bobby continued.

 

Dean’s eyes shot up at that.  Pie.  Something in his very being was telling him this was a great idea.   
  
He gave Bobby a wide grin, “I’d like that very much.”

 

And so it was that half an hour later, they were driving down the dirt road, in Bobby’s rusty old pick-up truck.  Twenty minutes passed before they were driving into town.

 

Although the autumn sun was out, the landscape had a grey look about it, Dean was starting to get an idea of the place he was in. Trinity could be found deep in the rural southwest of Kansas.

 

The bucolic scenes passing Dean by, gave the omega a sense of isolation and, strangely, safety, too.  To his right, there was lots of flat open land neatly sectioned off with weather worn fences and hedgerows.  There was a deep forest to his left, filled with dogwood and white oak.

 

The town was barely more than one road, with shops lining up each side.  On the corner was the hardware store and across the way, lay the general store.  Bobby explained that a trip into the closest city was required once a month, but otherwise most things you needed could be found here.  

  
  
“We ain’t fancy people round these parts, we make do with what we got,” Bobby explained.

 

Dean sat quietly, just taking it all in.

  
  
Whenever he saw a person in the street, a wave of anxiety would flood his system.  But Bobby appeared to understand this, and kept up a quiet line of general chit chat, which seemed to be soothing his nerves.

 

They pulled into a parking spot outside Fitzgerald’s Department Store.  Before Bobby got out of the car he placed a sure hand on Dean’s shoulder, and while looking him in the eye, he asked “Ya good here, boy? We can go back now if you need.”

 

Dean took a deep breath and gave Bobby a nod, not saying anything - instead, just turning to get out of the car.

 

Bobby lead the way, leaning in close to Dean saying, “You pick out anything you want, boy.”

 

Dean took in the store.  The clothes were all basic: jeans, shirts, t-shirts, like Bobby said, nothing fancy.  But that wasn’t an issue.  He moved over to the jeans, flicking through, not really sure what size he was.

 

“Howdy, Bobby, good to see you here, how long’s it been?” The store clerk cheerfully greeted the older man.  

  
  
Dean looked over to see a lanky looking alpha with a cowboy hat on and honest to goodness suede cowboy jacket complete with frilled lapels.  The kid looked to be pretty young, but carried himself with an air of self-confidence you’d not expect from someone so goofy.

 

“Garth,” Bobby said in his usual gruff tone, dipping his hat in the kid’s direction.  “Just in here with my nephew, Dean, picking out some new clothes.  How’s things with Bess and the kids?”

 

Garth was a local fixture, the Fitzgerald’s, his family, having been amongst the first settlers in Trinity.  The store had stayed in the family over the generations, eventually being passed down to the lanky Alpha.

 

“Oh they are just fine and dandy, little one’s growing like a weed, you should see him now.”  Garth replied.

 

“Yeah, they do that.  Make sure you cherish them, they grow so quick.”  Bobby’s voice had an undercurrent of sadness to it, that Dean couldn’t help picking up on.  

  
  
Garth just looked over solemnly and nodded, some unspoken conversation going on that Dean couldn’t quite grasp.

 

After a while, Dean had an armful of clothes, and was ready to finish up here.  Bobby took them from him, paying, and saying his farewells.  

  
  
As they were leaving Garth called out behind them.

 

“Nice to meet you, Dean, hope to see you around these part some more.  Don’t be a stranger,” and, with a dip of his cowboy hat, he smiled and winked.

 

The pair quickly finished shopping, Bobby getting what he needed without much fuss or human interaction, and soon they were on their way to the diner for pie.

 

Bobby drove the truck down to the far end of the street where, sitting just off the main road, was a diner that encompassed everything you’d imagine of a small town American diner.  The signage in big old school lettering, lined with florescent tubing in fire engine red that read “Benny’s.”  Beneath that, were large wrap around windows, an awning and the most magnificent cherry red Chevrolet Impala sitting pride of place out front.  

  
  
Dean was in awe of the majestic beast, as they walked past it.  He stopped, jaw agape, wanting to reach out and touch it - but not daring to mar the perfect sheen on her sleek crimson body.

 

“Like her do you, son?”  Bobby asked with a chuckle.

 

Dean was practically drooling, “Yeah, Bobby, she’s fantastic.  Wow, I didn’t know cars could be so…so…yeah, _wow_ , she’s great.”

 

“Fixed her up myself.”  Bobby said beaming with pride.  “Let her go to just about the best person I could think of.  In fact, you’re about to meet him now.  Come on, son, let’s get some eats, I promise you can stare at her from the window.”

 

Inside, the diner was immaculate, red vinyl booths wrapped around the sides on checkered linoleum flooring.  A long counter took pride of place framing the back, and behind that, a window through to the kitchen.

 

“Bobby!”  A young redheaded beta popped out from around the counter to give the man a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.  The old alpha looked outwardly prickly at the easy affection, but the slight blush that rose in his cheeks told Dean he wasn’t as completely uncomfortable as he made out to be.

 

The redhead looked to Dean as she guided them to a booth with a perfect view of the Impala.  “Hi! The name’s Charlie.  I hope Bobby here isn’t boring you senseless.” She had a kind smile, and a soothing scent that had Dean completely at ease. Charlie smelled like jasmine on the breeze of a hot summer night, subtle but sweet and pretty.

 

“Charlie - this is my nephew, Dean, he’s going to be staying with me for a while.”  Bobby could scent the uneasiness coming off Dean, sensing the panic of trying to converse with the stranger.

 

“Well, hello, Dean.  It’s nice to see some more young faces round these parts, gets a bit dull with all the oldies in Trinity.” Charlie affectionately bumped Bobby’s shoulder, with a wicked glint in her eyes.

 

Dean huffed out a laugh, Charlie was certainly a character, he felt that maybe they could be friends in time. Charlie hung around a while longer, taking their order and making small talk with Bobby.  Dean stayed quiet, looking up at the beta with big eyes, quickly averting them whenever he was caught staring.

 

“Alrighty, boys - I’ll get that out to you asap.  Oh, and Dean, be sure to slap Bobby across the head if he gets too surly, old man needs to lighten up once in a while.”  Charlie giggled as she skipped back to the counter and shouted “order up” as she spun the order receipt around to the chef.

 

Bobby and Dean sat in companionable silence while they waited for their food.  Dean found himself staring at the car, almost wistfully, she really was a beauty.

 

Soon, Charlie was back with their orders.

  
  
Dean stared down at the big plate, overflowing with fries, and the biggest, juiciest looking burger.  Dean glanced up to the alpha, hesitating to begin.  

  
  
Bobby just winked and said “Ain’t gonna eat itself, boy.  Dig in.”  

  
  
And that’s exactly what he did.

 

The burger was a burst of flavors in his mouth, the meat practically melting as he chewed.  Even without his memory, Dean thought this had to be the best thing he’d ever eaten, but that was before a big, burly, bearded, mountain of an alpha walked out with the sweetest smelling pie.

 

“Hello, brother, it’s good to see you.” The alpha said smiling to Bobby.  “Who’s your young friend here?”

 

Bobby smiled back to the alpha and said “Benny, this is my nephew, Dean. Dean this is Benny, this is his joint.  He also owns that beauty in the parking lot that you can’t take your eyes off.”

 

“You got good taste there, little brother, ‘67 Chevy Impala.  Don’t get much finer than her.  You got a thing for cars, hey? Must run in the family.  Bobby here works magic, I tell ya.”  Benny said in his thick southern accent, that made whatever he said sound more like poetry than simple chitchat.

 

The large alpha seemed kind, compared to his appearance - he came over as a big teddy bear.  His scent was pleasant and not as overpowering as you’d expect, there was a hint of ocean spray mixed with damp summer heat.  Dean smiled up at the alpha, whispering quietly, “She really is beautiful.”

 

This made Benny burst out into a loud laugh, “That she is, little brother, that she is.  Anyway, here’s some pie, on the house.  A ‘welcome to Trinity’ gift.  Yeah, yeah, Bobby.  I know you been here since time began, but I can’t help spoiling anyone that says such nice things about my Ginger. Enjoy.”  And with that, Benny clapped Dean and Bobby both on the back with his huge hands, and sauntered back to the kitchen.

 

“Well, you’ve won Benny’s affection.” The surly alpha said with a small chuckle.  “That’s half the town in your pocket, if you can win over the bear from Louisiana.”

 

Dean blushed slightly.  He wasn’t sure but it felt like he was making friends for the first time.  Lingering anxiety was falling away, he was starting to feel settled - safe.

 

After his first bite of the pie Benny had set down before him, Dean thought he could die and go to heaven right now and he wouldn’t even care.  The crust was perfect, crumbly but moist - filled with the plumpest, richest cherries.  A small moan escaped his mouth just as Charlie was coming over to their table.

 

“That good, huh?”  Charlie giggled at Dean shooting him a wink.

 

Dean could feel his ears turn red and hot and he ducked his head down in embarrassment.

 

“I’m just teasing, silly, s’not the first time I’ve seen Benny’s pies get that kind of reaction out of someone.”  She gave Dean a playful bump with her hip as she gathered up their used plates.

  
  
“So you probably don’t know many folks here in Trinity, do ya?  If you want to hang, watch movies or something you just give me a buzz.”  

 

The redheaded beta settled her stack of plates down on the next table, as she dug out her notebook from her apron.  Scrawling her name and number down and adding a love heart for good measure, she slid the note in front of the omega.  

 

The cheeky beta couldn’t help smiling wide at the stunned look Dean had on his face.  

 

“Don’t worry, sweetcheeks, you’re gorgeous but I don’t swing your way.  Look, if you have a passion for all thing geek and sci-fi, we will get on just fine!” Charlie was standing there looking at Dean, hands on hips and a smirk a mile wide plastered across her face.

 

“Yeah, that. That, would be nice.”

 

“Not a big talker?  That’s cool, I got more than enough to say for the two of us.  Right, well I best be getting out of your hair.  Be sure to have a great day.”  Charlie bounced off with a cheery wave, back to bustle around clearing tables.

 

Dean and Bobby got ready to leave, the surly alpha leaving cash on the table for the food, and a little extra for Charlie.  On their way out, Singer called out a goodbye to Benny who waved to them through the server window. Dean stopped to soak in the red beauty one more time, before, with a shrug of his shoulders, he wandered over to the pick-up and jumped in the cab.

 

The drive back to Bobby’s felt quicker.  His anxiety was completely gone now, the scent of the diner and the pie still in Dean’s nostrils.  Dean was almost uncomfortably full, and feeling incredibly sleepy by the time they got home. _Home_. Yeah, it was home…for now.

 

He said his thank you’s to Bobby, and retreated to his room with his bags of clothes.  Dean collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep almost instantly, feeling more at ease than he had since his arrival here.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

After Dean’s first venture into town, life at Singer’s Salvage became much easier.  The young omega was coming out of his shell, and the house, to discover the wonders of a half-century’s accumulation of junk and car parts.  

 

Most days, Dean would head out to see Bobby while he was working in the garage, bringing him a cold beer, or choosing to sit and watch the old alpha work.  

 

Dean’s mind was like a sponge, taking in every detail going on around him.  He was fascinated by the workings of engines; fiddling with the car parts he found around the garage, figuring out how they worked and what piece went where.  

 

Dean had memorized the name of all the tools, and their uses by the end of the week. Beginning to feel useful, as Bobby would ask the omega to pass him what he needed, in return the alpha would explain what he was doing.

 

Bobby picked out an old Ford pickup from the yard, towing it into the garage and letting Dean loose on it.  In just a week the omega had picked up more than enough from the old grump to have a crack at something on his own

 

“You need a project, boy, something to practice on and get your hands dirty with.  ‘sides, if you stick around here, you’re gonna need a car, I can’t be running you into town all the time.  So have at it… you have any questions just ask.”  Bobby said, his voice revealing a hint of pride in the young omega.

 

Dean took to mechanics like a duck to water.  He rarely asked questions, one observation of a procedure was all it took, and he was set to go.  

 

The tools felt right in his hands, the weight of them a comfort, the smell of oil and grease oddly settling.    

 

His own surprise at his ability to pick things up, was only surpassed by Bobby’s - who he found looking over at him on more than one occasion, chest puffed out and beaming with the look a father would give their son.

 

Bobby watched the omega’s progress with curiosity.  Over the years, when the garage had been much busier, the alpha had trained his fair share of apprentices.  Never in his time had he come across someone who picked up the trade so rapidly and with such finesse.  

 

Bobby considered himself fairly liberal in his nature, but he had never known an omega to be trained in mechanics.  He wasn’t one of those alphas who thought all omegas were weak willed and unintelligent, good for nothing but breeding and housekeeping.  

 

On the contrary, his experience with his fierce Karen told him omega’s were anything but weak.  His soulmate was one of the sharpest people he’d known, more than half his library was acquired by his mate.  Her passion for knowledge knew no bounds.

 

However, in the old alpha’s understanding,  it was rare (if not unheard of) for omegas to have jobs as labor intensive and alpha dominated as this.  

 

Unmated omegas often worked in the service industry, the lucky ones going to special omega schools to learn nursing or secretarial skills.  Most leaving work behind them once mated to care for a family.

 

Things just didn’t add up with Dean, he was too good for a beginner, and Bobby suspected the omega must have had training at some point in his life.  The thing that baffled the alpha the most was where?  There were no colleges that took omegas, that he knew of.  Perhaps a family member had shown him.  He guessed they may never find out.

 

Working on the Ford was just what Dean needed, it was methodical and calming.  He found his head going quiet, all thoughts draining away, and his focus zoning into the puzzle he was currently working on.  

 

The junker was in a bad way; however, not totally unsalvageable.  It had a solid cab with very little rust, in need of a paint job, but otherwise a fine foundation to work on. The engine needed to be pulled apart, every component checked and cleaned.  Broken parts were swapped out for new pieces, salvaged from the many vehicles on the property.

 

Dean was constantly moving, searching for the right part of the puzzle, exploring the extensive yard.  

 

His body ached at the end of the day, his damaged ribs still tender, but healing, gave him less and less trouble.  In the mornings, his muscles craved the movement, craved that satisfying burn of a heavy workload.

 

The omega’s stay at Singer’s was flying by, the cool autumn weather starting to truly take hold.  Bobby and he had fallen into an easy routine, working and eating together.  Small talk was hard for the omega, however Dean and Bobby had a shared passion for books, so conversations would always fall back to what the young man was reading.  

 

Over the weeks, Dean and Bobby would visit Benny’s diner regularly.  Bobby soon recognized the way to the mysterious omega’s heart was through pie, and just to see the smile flit across his face for even a moment, was worth the trip into town.  

 

Dean’s evolution from a broken, damaged omega, to the cautious yet blossoming creature was slowly revealing himself before the old alpha’s eyes.  

 

Dean still hadn’t worked up the courage to call Charlie.  Frankly, the beta intimidated him some, her vivacious personality a little too much for him to process.  However, after the third trip to Benny’s diner, the omega seemed to flourish, starting conversations of his own volition with Charlie and Benny.    

 

He would hound Benny for recipes, taking a special interest in the burly alpha’s ‘secret’ filling to Dean’s favorite pie.

 

The redheaded beta had a special way with the emerging personality of the timid omega, coaxing him into discussions on whatever Dean was reading at that time.  Soon, she was slipping DVD’s into his hand as they would leave, the next visit filled with grand debates on ‘Men in Black’ and _handsome archeologists_.

 

Bobby just had to sit back, watching his young charge take it all in his stride.

 

It was times like these, Bobby couldn’t help reflecting on what kind of past Dean had escaped.  This spirited young man was sharp as a tack, talented and caring.  With nothing to his name, not even a name, he had everything to be a complete wreck about, but had succumb to nothing.  Dean was a survivor, Bobby knew that much, but the omega’s riddle was bigger than that, if only he could piece it together.  

 

\-----------

 

“Alright, son, start her up.”  Bobby announced as he raised his head out of the engine of the pickup.    
  
He had just finished looking over Dean’s work and was quietly pleased with everything the omega had achieved.  He was secretly crossing all his fingers that it would start, first go.

 

Dean jumped behind the wheel, turning the key and pumping the gas.  The engine coughed and spluttered for several seconds, as the green eyed omega held his breath, sucking his lower lip into his mouth and worrying it with his teeth.  Then, as if like magic - the engine ticked over and burst into life.  

 

Dean let out his breath with a whoop of excitement looking over to Bobby through the dirty windscreen.  The old alpha was standing there wiping his dirty hands on a rag, preening over Dean’s accomplishment.

 

“Well, son, got her going on the first try.  You certainly have a knack for engines, well done.”  Bobby spoke, and if his voice cracked slightly, well, the engine roar was loud enough to cover it up.

 

“Can I take her for a spin, Bobby?”  Dean asked excitedly, as the alpha jumped up into the cab on the passenger side.

 

“Sure thing, boy.  Now - we just have ta see if you can drive.”  Bobby said as he gave the omega a gentle pat on the back.

 

Dean ducked his gaze, he hadn’t thought about actually driving, too focused on the project to think into the future.  It felt natural sitting behind the wheel, how hard could it be?  

 

Bobby gave him a few instructions, putting the stick into drive how much pressure you needed on the gas, and off they went.

 

Apparently, Dean did know how to drive, muscle memory working of it’s own accord, the scent of happy omega, filling the cab.  They took a couple of laps of the yard before Bobby chimed in.

 

“Let’s take a trip into town, whaddaya say, pie at Benny’s.  My treat.”  The look on Dean’s face said everything the old man needed to know.  “Well, what are ya waiting for?  You know the way.”  Bobby gently teased, leaning back in his seat, winding down the window and taking in the day.

 

Dean pulled into Benny’s parking lot practically jumping out of the pickup and sprinting into the diner before Bobby could even unbuckle his seatbelt.  

 

“Benny!”  The enthusiastic omega yelled running into the diner, startling the big alpha from his work in the kitchen.

 

“Hey brother, what’s all this hollering about?”  Benny drawled as he ambled out of the kitchen to take in the flushed sunny look on Dean’s face.

 

“Come see her, Benny, she’s not as pretty as your Ginger, but I did it!  I fixed her up and she’s all mine!”  Dean rushed out while grabbing the alpha’s arm and dragging him out to the parking lot.

 

“Well, look what we have here.  Brother, you’ve done a fine job, all she needs is a lick of paint and she’d be peachy.” The Louisiana alpha said as he slung a casual arm around Dean’s shoulder.  

 

Benny could see just how thrilled Dean was, he practically vibrated under his arm.  It was such a joy to see this quiet, young omega shine.

 

“Oh yeah, that would be great but I don’t have money for that sorta business.  She runs, that’s all that matters.”  Dean replied.  

 

“We could remedy that for you, if you like, brother.”  Benny offered.    
  
Dean looked to him quizzically, the way his face contorted with concentration made Benny chuckle under his breath.

 

“You think any harder, your face will crack, and we can’t have you messing up that pretty thing of yours.  I mean to offer you a job, dishwashing and bussing the tables to start.  Then we can see where you go from there.  What do you think?”  Benny huffed out a loud laugh as he watched the words he spoke sink into the omega’s brain.

 

Dean looked from Benny to Bobby and back again, _a job_ he thought.    
  
This was a bit of a shock, he feared to think too far ahead, but if he was going to stay here he needed to start supporting himself.  Bobby was happy to put him up, but the longer he stayed the more he realized that work wasn’t booming at Singers Salvage and he didn’t want to be a burden.  Could he do this?  Be in public, be responsible?  So many things were flying through his head he started to feel dizzy.

 

Benny broke him out of his daze - “It’s okay, brother.  You don’t have to decide right now.  How ‘bout you come in and have some celebratory pie, on the house, and think it over.  I made pecan fresh today?”

 

Dean looked up at the alpha, relief flooding over him.   
  
He could think about this, _and_ get pie.    
  
“Yeah, okay, that sounds good.  Thanks, Benny.”  He was smiling uncertainly as he walked behind the alpha, much more sedately than his last trip into the diner.

 

Bobby took their usual booth at the window overlooking the Impala and now Dean’s pickup.  Apparently Charlie wasn’t working today, as they discovered when a new waitress came over to take their drink orders.  

 

Her nametag said Meg, her long dark hair falling in loose curls around her face, she let off no scent, which Dean found quite odd.  She was pleasantly perky but radiated a sense of fake civility, which Charlie never did.  

 

Dean ordered a chocolate milkshake with all the trimmings, Bobby a black coffee.

 

“So what do you think, son?  You up for working?”  The older man enquired.

 

“Yeah, it sounds good.  I don’t know, I just kind of panicked back there.” Dean said, fiddling with the hem of his shirt as he spoke.

 

“You know, you don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for.  I’m happy to have you pottering in the garage with me, y’know that.”  Bobby reassured the omega.  
  
He didn’t want to push if he wasn’t ready, but he couldn’t help feeling that a job and some independence was just what the omega needed to continue to grow.

 

“I don’t want to let Benny down if I say yes, i’m ‘fraid i’ll mess up, freak out or something stupid, and I don’t want to let you down, you’ve done so much for me Bobby.  I don’t know how to repay you.” Dean’s eyes fixedly pointed to the formica tabletop in front of him

 

“Now listen, son.  I won’t hear nothing more about you payin’ me back or owing me anything.  What I’ve done for you has been my pleasure, the clothes, the car and anything else that pretty brain of yours thinks up have been gifts.”  The surly alpha countered.

 

Dean kept his head bent his green eyes staring at the napkin he was now tearing little pieces off.

 

Bobby leaned over the table clasping Dean’s hand in his, “You don’t have a clue what you’ve done for me, and I guess I haven’t told ya so ya can’t be blamed.  But boy - my life was black 'n white before ya showed up, you’ve bought a new light into my life.”

 

The omega’s gaze slowly rose to meet the alpha’s, he saw only sincerity in his features, as the alpha continued:

 

“It’s a pleasure to wake up and know I’m not alone anymore.  You have been a joy, if not a little complicated at the start, but ya owe me nothing.  I reckon we are even.  Now, as for the job, you keep that money and spend it as you see fit, enjoy it.”  Bobby let go of Dean’s hand and sat back, taking off his battered baseball hat and holding it nervously.

 

Dean considered the alpha’s words, his actions speaking louder - clasping his hand, fidgeting with his cap.  The omega already knew Bobby was reticent giving affection.

 

“Okay.”  Dean whispered.  “I’ll take it.”

 

Bobby looked Dean in the eye, and let a great smile take over his face,  “Well congratulations, son.  How’s it feel to have your first job?”

 

Dean blushed and laughed, just as Meg brought over their drinks and most importantly - the pie.  

 

“‘Scuse me, Meg, could you ask Benny to come out when he has a minute?”    
  
Meg splashed her best phony smile - her soft features contorting into something hard, when she nodded, then headed to the kitchen before Dean even picked up his fork.

 

Taking a bite of the pie, Dean let out an almost pornographic moan, _pecan pie,_ definitely his favorite.  

 

Benny must have just been walking over, as he got to the table he let out a loud whistle and gave Dean a hard pat on back.  

 

“You know, I could let you two have the back room if you need some private time.”  Benny chuckled.    
  
Dean just blushed but looked up at the alpha, with a glint of cheekiness in his eyes.

 

“Benny, this pie is like heaven, I – I – this – god, this is the best.”  The young omega couldn’t even get his brain to function he was in such a state of bliss, he took another quick bite as the alpha just smiled and looked pretty pleased with himself.  

 

“I’ve thought it over, the job offer, I mean… I think I’d like to come work here, I really would.”  

  
Benny thrust out his big bear hand, taking Dean’s in a firm shake, “Well, that settles it, then.  Welcome to the team, brother.  You can start tomorrow, say 10am.  Charlie will be here to show you the ropes.  Man, she’s gonna flip when she finds out, let’s surprise her shall we?” 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All the kudos, subscriptions and bookmarks have been overwhelming.  
> Thank you so much, all of you. You are making my day!
> 
> So as a thank you, have this little chapter, it might even have a surprise you all might be excited about.

  
The next morning Dean woke up early, a buzz of excitement fluttering in his stomach. Getting showered and dressed quickly, he went to the kitchen to set the coffee machine on before Bobby got up. Moving around quietly, he set about making a good breakfast, if he was going to be on his feet all day, he wanted to be well fed.

Bobby surfaced from his room while Dean was halfway through cooking up some bacon to go with the pancakes he’d already made, eggs bubbled away on the other burner.

“You’re up early today, too nervous to sleep?” Bobby said voice still gruff with sleep.

“Not nervous, Bobby, I’m excited.” Dean replied, shooting the alpha a shining smile.

The younger man bounces around the kitchen getting everything ready. He’s cooked far too much for the two of them, but he’d been so caught up in the moment, he couldn’t help himself.

Setting the food out on the table, then quickly grabbing the forgotten syrup, he settles down to tuck in, serving Bobby first making sure he got the crispiest bacon and the fluffiest pancakes. Pushing the plate in front of the older man, Dean looks him in the eyes, a state of seriousness coming over his face.

“Thank you, Bobby, truly.” Dean offers, a blush quickly rising to the young man’s cheeks, the smell of happy contented omega mixing with the breakfast aromas, before he looks away and starts to heap eggs and bacon onto his stack of pancakes.

“Don’t mention it, son.” Bobby nods. Pushing the first huge bite of bacon pancaky goodness into his mouth, closing his eyes and humming in pleasure, “You cook like this everyday and I will die a happy man.” The alpha praised, lips closing around a forkful of food

Finishing up, Dean rose to clear everything away only to have his hand swatted away by Bobby.

“There used to be a saying in this house, a long time ago.” The alpha stated sternly. “Those who cooked, get to take a seat, and the ones who got to enjoy the bounty clear up. I think it’s time that rule comes back into affect.”

Bobby got up all matter of factly and cleared away the breakfast mess, leaving Dean to sit and fiddle with the cuff of his sleeves while he wondered if he should be insisting on helping.

“Come on, boy, don’t dilly dally. It’s almost nine, why don’t you head on in, doesn’t hurt being early on your first day.” Bobby prompted, sensing that the omega was now, at a loss with what to do.

Dean let out a sigh of relief, the tension that was building up in his shoulders rapidly draining out of him. He shot Bobby a look of thanks and went to gather his things.

Wallet and keys in hand Dean headed out the door, calling out his goodbyes to the old alpha as he went.

Jumping into the pickup, the gravity of the situation hit him. He was going out into the world, unfamiliar moments around every corner. He took a deep breath, steeling his nerves, he could do this.

Starting up the engine, he rolled the windows down and took small pleasures in letting the cool wind whip around him as he headed into town.

 

“Dean! Don’t normally see you in here this early, what can I do for ya?” Charlie greeted the omega with her usual whole body smile.

The diner smelled amazing; Dean inhaled deeply feeling instantly at ease, encased in the scent of fresh apples, cinnamon and nutmeg. Dean made a mental note to ask Benny for the recipe, because he must have been baking some of the best pies known to man this morning.

“Well, you could start with telling me where I can put my things, then I guess getting me an apron would be good.” Dean quipped with a slight smirk on his face, which only started to broaden as he could see the pieces of what he said to the redhead fall into place.

However prepared he thought he was for Charlie’s excitement, he was not set to have the redheaded beta jump clear across the counter and envelope him in the biggest hug he’d ever had.

“OH. EM. GEE! I can’t believe it, Dean, it can’t be true!” Charlie was practically bouncing, her sweet jasmine scent getting stronger the longer she held onto the young omega.

“This is so exciting, GAH! This is going to be so much fun, you and me - the dynamic duo. You will be the Tuvok to my Janeway! Don’t tell Benny I’ve usurped the captaincy though.” Charlie could hardly contain her excitement, the beta kept slapping Dean backhanded on the chest, and giggling. She did however falter at the confused look on Dean’s face.

“Oh come on Star Trek man, don’t tell me you haven’t seen it?” Charlie demanded, hands on hips eyebrows raised to her hairline.

Dean blushed slightly and shook his head.

“Don’t worry, dude. We'll just have to sort you out is all. Stick with me, kiddo, we will make a treky out of you in no time.” Slinging an arm around Dean’s shoulders she guided him out the back to the staff room.

The room that had been designated employee space, was located at the very back of the diner, opposite a room Dean assumed must be Benny’s office.

It was compact, but functional, a small table with a couple of chairs sat in one corner and a row of lockers along the other wall. A “Hang in there” poster with a kitten clinging helplessly to a stick along with a clock were the only forms of decoration on the walls.

Charlie showed Dean which locker he could use, and grabbed an apron for him, before dragging him by the arm, yet again, to the kitchen where Benny was busy prepping for the lunch rush.

“Hey boss-man were you ever intending on letting me know my favorite customer was about to be my favorite co-worker?” Charlie asked all tease and mock hurt in her tone.

Benny looked up from what he was doing, to see the readhead gripping hold of Dean’s arm, the boy looked flustered, Charlie must have really been laying it on thick this morning.

“Thought it’d be a nice surprise, cher. Sorry to upset you” Benny winked at Dean while he addressed the excitable beta. “We’re just going to start Dean on washing duties and bussing tables, reckon you can show him the ropes, princess?”

Charlie curtsied dramatically and said “As you wish.”

The day passed in a blur, Dean was kept busy moving around the diner, clearing tables, making awkward small talk with the regular customers and tackling the mountain of washing.

Working with Charlie was a lot of fun, whenever there was a quiet moment they would get together, the beta chatting away, making a start on Dean’s “education” straight away. She was horrified as she began to figure out how little ‘popular geek culture’ as she liked to call it, that the omega didn’t know. She had taken out her little notebook and was making list upon list of the things he absolutely must - right this minute - watch, read or play.

Dean was just finishing up on the last pile of washing when Benny came over to him, giving him a big pat on the back. “How was your first day, brother?” The alpha asked.

Dean looked up from what he was doing and noticed that the diner was empty, the blinds had been drawn on the windows and the closed sign was hanging from the door. He couldn’t believe his first day was over, it felt like he’d only just arrived.

“Great, Benny, really great. The day has flown by. I think I’m really going to enjoy it here.” He grinned up at the alpha while wiping his wet hands on his apron.

“That’s good, brother, I think you’re going to be a great fit, and you and Charlie will make a fantastic team. Now I forgot to mention to you yesterday but I’ll need you to bring in your omega papers, and some ID. Just bring it into me this week and we can set up your paycheck.”

Dean’s face dropped as the alpha spoke, _omega papers? ID?_ He didn’t have these things, of course he would need them, how could he of been so stupid to think he could have it easy.

The acrid smell of panicked omega rapidly filled the kitchen. Benny tried not to clear his throat as the sharp tang rode up his nostrils. He took in the sight of the omega worrying his lower lip with his teeth, his face was drained of all color, his green eyes blown wide with fear.

Suspicions the alpha held over the omega’s sudden appearance in town were coming together. Benny had known Bobby since the day he arrived in Trinity straight off the back of a twelve year stint in the army, and ready to settle down somewhere quiet.

With their shared military background and mutual respect for classic cars, the two alphas had become fast friends. In all his time with Bobby, the burly alpha had never heard mention of a nephew, nor any other family for that matter.

“Don’t worry yourself, little brother, no big deal. Why don’t you get out of here, I’ll see you tomorrow same time, alright?”

Dean nodded weakly, eyes downcast, his stomach churning. Shuffling out of the kitchen and calling out a quiet goodbye to Charlie, he jumped into his car before he would have to talk to anyone else.

What was he going to do? He started up the car and hit the road before the panic that was threatening to take over made it impossible to drive. He wound the window down, getting air on his hot skin, trying to clear his head.

Coming to the end of Main Street, Dean came to a rolling stop to give way to another vehicle, lost in thought striving to stay this side of sane just to get home, a delicious aroma crossed his nostrils.

The wind was blowing from the right, and carried on it was that smell, all spice and apples. Snapping his head to the right to see where it came from, Dean saw nothing but the flap of tan fabric as it’s owner turned a corner out of sight.

The scent settled deep in Dean’s bones, like an invisible wave, it smothered the flames of anxiety in an instant.

Assuming the mystery occupant of the tan coat must have been carrying one of Benny’s pies, the omega shook his head in disbelief; his love of pie was getting out of control. If it was that easy to settle his nerves he’d need to start carrying a slice with him everywhere he went.

In the bustle of the day and his haste to leave Dean, realized he’d forgotten to ask Benny for the recipe. Setting off to drive for home, he made a mental note to ask first thing tomorrow. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please please leave comments if you feel talkative!  
> I'm loving writing this fic, but would really love to know how you feel about it, your thoughts, ideas, what ever you want to tell me!  
> You'll get no spoilers from me, but I may be cackling with joy if you feel so inclined to guess where this is going! 
> 
> love you all xxx


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big sorry for the delay on this chapter. LittleAngelCassie had to pull me out of a writers block hole to get this one to you. I couldn't have done it without her. Thanks to my sweet paperann for the final edit and all the moral support any one person could want.  
> I hope you enjoy xx

Bobby was in the kitchen when Dean got home, the alpha busying himself with pots and pans, a small whirlwind swirling around the room. The smell of beef casserole filled the old house, enveloping the tired omega and stirring up a growl from his empty stomach.

The sound of the front door latching caused the alpha to turn, taking in the sight of the young omega. “Dean, perfect timing. Dinner is all done, come on, son, take a seat and tell me ‘bout your day.” 

Dean sat down taking in the domestic scene, Bobby fussing over the plates, like a caring father. This house, this place, it was his home, and maybe this felt like family. 

The hearty meal warmed Dean to the bottom of his toes, a happy kind of fatigue taking over the omega as the evening wore on. He recounted the events of the day, becoming animated when the subject of Charlie and her sci-fi education arose. 

Dean’s demeanor began to shrink as his story came to an end. 

Bobby looked on, somewhat confused by the change of pace, but let the omega find his words in his own time.

Dean crumpled in on himself, his mind swirling with a hundred million things. The right route to bring this up, escaping him. 

Bobby was looking on patiently observing the omega but neither pushing nor assuming anything, even with a look.

The last conversation with Benny was on repeat cluttering his inner dialogue. Omega papers, such a basic request, even with no memory of his life, these simple societal truths were ingrained in his knowledge. 

To be an omega, in a sense, was to be owned. Dean knew this to his very core. You were owned by your parents until you were mated off, or signed over to an organization or business in the terms of your employment agreement. 

Sure, the old ways were falling away, the freedoms afforded omegas in this time were much more liberal than even 50 years ago. Omegas could work now, unlike before, when they couldn’t even be seen in public without an alpha by their side. Also, these days, rather than be claimed by an alpha, or sold to the highest bidder, omegas could now marry for love.

Of course there were people who refused to believe in the new omega rights, strongly digging their heels into the old ways, keeping their omegas chained to the kitchen sink - to be used for breeding and housekeeping and denying their freedom to choose whom they were mated to.

The fact Dean didn’t have omega papers was only one part of the problem that caused bile to rise in his throat, and waves of panic flow over him. His scent was full of fear and doubt, and the way it was filling the dining room, was even making him recoil. He couldn’t understand how Bobby was able to sit there without covering his nose in disgust.

The other part of the problem was the fact, out there, somewhere, was an alpha with rights to him. Just as Dean started to spiral down that rabbit hole, he felt a strong arm wrapping around his shoulders, a big hand patting his knee and a calm voice filter through his thoughts. 

Bobby had taken the seat next to the spiraling omega, his free hand offering him a cooling glass of water. The aroma of alpha concern settled over the Dean, surrounding him in a sense of care and wellbeing, grounding him in the now. 

The old man beside him, reinforced the sense of family into Dean’s mind, perhaps this was what it was like to be cared for, perhaps this was what it was like to be loved. Way deep inside, Dean knew he’d never had someone to look up to. This kind, old alpha was the closest thing to a father the omega ever had.

“Boy, where’d you go?” The old alpha asked.

“I don’t have my omega papers.” Dean choked out, suddenly turning in his chair to face Bobby and embracing the older man, instinctively nestling his nose in the crook of the alpha’s neck. 

The intimately familial action took Bobby by surprise, warming his heart, stirring old memories of his own. An old saying his mother had taught him when he was just a pup, clawed its way to the front of his mind, ‘Family don’t end in blood.’ The alpha leaned in wrapping the young man in his arms, automatically bringing a hand up to pet the omegas head where it lay.

With Dean this close, and quickly calming from the effects of the alpha’s protective scent, Bobby was able to take his first real scent of the young man in his arms. They hadn’t been this close since the day he had picked the broken boy up from the rain soaked driveway and brought him into his home. Then, the scent had been bitter full of fear and pain, now however, he could pick up the real essence of the boy.

Dean had a wild smell about him, like an omega you read of in the fairy tales, the ones brought up by wolves in the forest. He smelt of morning dew, the woodland floor covered in pine needles, autumn leaves, his scent was green. 

Dean shuffled in the alpha’s grip, and Bobby unwrapped his arms, giving him room to pull away.

Perched on the edge of his chair, Dean took a deep breath. 

“Benny asked me to bring my papers in, for my pay, to make my employment official. I panicked, Bobby. I couldn’t control it, and now he knows, he must know, I stunk up the kitchen so fast, and I ran, he’s going to fire me, I just know it.” Dean felt the bubble of panic rise again, but was quickly saved by Bobby’s strong hand gently rubbing his shoulder.

“Don’t worry son, Benny’s an old friend, and he has a good sense of what’s right and wrong. You’re safe here, boy, I won’t let nothing happen to you, not while you're in my town.” 

Dean could tell the words came from an honest place, and he wanted more than anything to let them wash all signs of panic and fear away. However, the scars of his past ran deeper than that, hidden though they may be, they were there, and Dean could feel them like a fissure ready to break open and swallow him whole.

The young omega rose from his seat, no longer wanting to burden the old man with his troubles. After a quiet thank you, and a promise that he was feeling much better, he made his way to his room locking the door behind him for the first time since he’d been here.

Sinking into the bed, he willed sleep to take him, as he let the fatigue of the day wash over his tired limbs.

……..

Later that night, Bobby settled down in the kitchen, poured himself a tall glass of whiskey and picked up the phone to give Benny a call.

The line rang several times before the deep Louisiana voice was heard on the other end. 

“Bobby, how are things with you?” 

“Cut the small talk, Benny, you know why I’m calling, let’s get to it, alright?” Bobby was not one for conversation on a good day, and right now this was far from a good day. Like he’d told Dean, he and Benny had been friends for years, and he was pretty certain the Louisiana alpha would do what was right, but he knew better than to take things for granted. 

“Well, straight to it, hey, brother. No problem, I take it you want to talk about Dean.” Benny didn’t take the older alpha’s gruffness to heart, in fact - it was one of the things he found endeared him to the man. You always knew where you stood with Bobby, no pussyfooting around it.

“Damn right, I want to talk about Dean. Now, he tells me he freaked out at the diner before he left. Some business about omega papers.” Bobby wanted to let Benny take the reins, here; he needed to gauge where he stood on the subject.

“Well, you could say that. Stunk up the whole place with his freak out. Look, Bobby, you gotta give it to me straight, here. I ain’t heard a peep outta you about no family in all the years I’ve known you. This boy, Dean, he’s got a story and it don’t have nothing to do with Singer Christmas get togethers.” Benny laid it out for the old alpha. He sighed into the phone when Bobby didn’t immediately reply.

“Look, Bobby, I don’t know where this boy’s come from, but if you’re ringing to find out if I’m gonna make it difficult for him to stay here, well, I’d hoped you knew me better than that. If you are looking out for him, that’s all I need to know, I ain’t gonna kick up a fuss.” Benny paused to let that sink in, continuing before Bobby could interject. “But, brother, you owe me an explanation… what the heck you got yourself into here?”

It was Bobby’s turn to exhale deeply into the receiver, because that was a question he was constantly asking himself. “Well s’pose I should start at the beginning. Boy showed up on my doorstep looking like he’d done five rounds with Mike Tyson, he was a helluva mess. That was about just over a month ago. Boy’s got no memory to speak of. Dean’s not even his real name, for all I know. He’s a proper mystery, and it don’t even stop there. What I know, for sure, is he’s scared and he’s running, from what or who, well - God only knows.” 

“Jesus, Bobby it’s even worse than I thought. I mean, you can smell the PTSD on him from a mile away, knew something was off from the moment you brought him into the diner. Skittish thing back then, calmed some since he’s been here, but damn, I didn’t know it was that bad.” Benny was musing over all the small details of the omega’s behavior, when the older alpha interjected. 

“Smart thing, too. He really did do that truck up on his own. I mean, where the hell does an omega learn to do up cars, even in this day and age, it’s unheard of. A coupla weeks watching and fiddling in the garage and he’s a goddamn mechanic.” Bobby paused, wondering if he should tell Benny about the other things he’d observed the omega doing, that were playing on his mind. 

“He’s been messed up six ways from Sunday, Benny. The kid froze when I even mentioned seeing the sheriff about finding his people, you shoulda seen him, I thought he was going to run, right then and there. He has nightmares, too. I’ve heard ‘em, nasty things. His screams brought me running one night, he’s there tangled in his sheets thrashing around. His alpha musta been a tyrant, he calls out in his dreams, it’s incoherent but I could catch the odd no sir, yes sir, they're coming for us, it’s militant, Benny. I can’t make heads nor tails of it.”

“You’re right, brother, it’s one helluva messed up mystery. Look, you’re not gonna hear a peep outta me, Dean’s safe at the diner, I can watch his back. Just to be safe though, I have a friend who could help us out with some papers for the boy, in case anyone starts sticking their nose where it don’t belong. What do you think? You want me to sort it out?” 

“If you trust the guy, then I trust your judgment. Thanks, Benny. I knew I could count on you. Well, now that’s sorted I’m gonna hit the sack.” With that Bobby hung up the phone. Not one for goodbyes, enough words had been spoken today for his liking.

Bobby finished his whiskey, swallowing it down in one gulp, fixing the lights, he shuffled down the hall to bed.

………

 

Sleep took the young omega, but it did not provide the escape he so sorely sought. Dean hung on the precipice of consciousness, completely aware of his thoughts, yet in no control of his mind. 

His overwrought psyche promptly dove, head first, into the rabbit hole he so very nearly fell into while talking to Bobby. 

He was a child again, in a room filled with two rows of beds, the room was clinical, no decoration, no softness, slate grey walls and cold white floors. Dean was an observer, watching over his younger form, lying in the bed. His head was shaved close to his scalp, his skin pale, his body lean, he couldn’t have been older than ten. The other beds were filled with similar looking children, all of the same age, 14 in total.

A siren rang, loud and piercing, the sound shot through him like a bolt of lightening, chilling his very core. The children bolted out of bed, running to the other end of the room, Dean willed himself to follow, trying to catch up with the children, but his legs moved as if wading through quicksand, the kids disappearing ahead of him, getting smaller and smaller. 

He didn’t see them now, but he could hear them. A loud voice that he couldn’t make out, barking at them, their small voices, chiming in unison. “Yes, sir.” 

The scene changed before his eyes, this time he was inside his body - a participant in the dream. This was an older version of himself, perhaps eighteen or nineteen. He was lying on his stomach, the ground was uneven, he could feel the jagged edge of a rock digging into his hip where he lay, and it was hot, so very, very hot. 

He scanned to his left and right, searching for the others, he knew they must be here, but where was he? The surroundings were barren, he could make out dusty mud brick walls in the distance, and sand everywhere, he knew it was bright and stark, however everything he saw was black and white. 

He could feel the sun scorching down on his back, the smell of blood in the air, it’s metallic tang hitting the back of his throat, when he looked to his hands, they were red, a glaring contrast to the black and white vision. Panicking he tried to wipe them on the ground, his hands sinking into the sand, the grit getting into this nails, scratching at his skin. 

He rolled onto his back, and the monochrome desert fell away bringing him into a lavishly decorated room. He felt the bed beneath him, looking around, the room was decorated in golds and blues, not a penny was spared, the surroundings screamed money.

He felt a weight push against him, a rough hand at his throat. Looking up he took in a face contorted in the throes of pleasure. Dean could feel his mind steel and his body relax, he knew what was coming, he knew how this would end. 

The face above him changed, now instead of pleasure all he saw was pain, their mouth open in a scream that never came. 

Blood was pouring over him, a film of crimson covering everywhere he looked, he could taste it, he could smell it, he could feel it’s heat as it hit his skin. Horror swept through him, scrambling to get out from under the weight that was now threatening to suffocate him, pushing him into the mattress, down, down, down. 

Dean woke sitting bolt upright, choking off a scream in the back of his throat. Frantically his eyes darted around, the gold and blue room was still there, fading slowly giving way to the old walls of Bobby’s home, his home. The omega brought his hands up to his face, he could still smell the blood, he could still feel the heat and sand.

The hands before him were clean.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where's Cas? I'm so sorry, he's coming, I promise!


	6. Chapter 6

Dean was unable to get back to sleep after the horrific dream. His body trembled violently, the taste and smell of blood seemed to permeate the room. Although the omega could see the room around him, hear the creaking of the old house settling in the way only old houses do, Dean could also feel the fine silken fabric of those blood soaked sheets below him. From the corner of his eye, the gold décor caught his attention, even as the images slid away. Blood, oh that horrid blood, was everywhere, no matter how easily he could see his skin was clean. He could still feel its viscous substance between his fingers, those sensations, metallic and terrifying, refused to ebb.

It was the early hours of the morning, and the house was silent but for the distant sound of Bobby’s snores coming down the hall. The omega kept looking at his hands, the sensation of blood making him feel soiled all the way to his bones. He rose from his bed. He couldn’t stay in the room any longer, so instead he wandered down the hall to the bathroom.

Opting for a shower to scrub his tainted skin raw, the omega turned the hot water on, the scorching heat on his skin stripping away the lingering residue of the dream, and turning his body a bright pink. Dean stayed until the stream of water turned cold, the shiver running through his body signalling it was time to leave.

With hours to kill before his shift at the diner started, the young omega put on the coffee maker and stuck the latest DVD Charlie had given him into the player, then curled up on the couch.

He must have fallen asleep halfway to Mordor because he woke to the sun streaming in through the flimsy curtains, and the DVD menu music on repeat, ringing in his ears. He could here a soft shuffling coming from the kitchen and turned to see Bobby pouring himself a mug of coffee and fixing some breakfast.

“Trouble sleeping, son?” The older man called out from the kitchen, when he noticed movement coming from the couch.

Dean just nodded in agreement, moving quietly out to the kitchen table, and sitting down before a bowl of cereal and a steaming cup of joe. He was going to have to mainline the stuff today, if he was to get through his shift.

Dean’s thoughts felt muddy, and sluggish. The events of the night before had sapped him of energy. He didn’t want to bring up the dream to Bobby.

What with everything else, it felt like one more thing to burden the kind man with, this man who had provided him with a home, security and affection. No the alpha didn’t need anything else to worry about. Besides, the last thing he wanted to do was revisit those images again.

Bobby was the first to break the silence. With an awkward cough, he cleared his throat and began. “Spoke to Benny last night.” He paused as Dean’s gaze shot up, the omega beginning to fidget in his seat.

“He’s good, nothing to worry ‘bout boy. I explained the situation to him, and I trust him to keep it to himself. He knows someone who can help with the omega papers too. If you’re happy to go ahead, we can get you some fake papers, to keep you protected.” Bobby waited while the omega processed the new information.

Dean spoke surely, the sound of determination and perseverance that Bobby admired in the boy coming through. “Thanks, Bobby. Please go ahead with the papers, I want to be safe… and… I want to be here.”

With that, Dean rose from the table and went to his room to get ready for work.

  
\----------

  
As Dean drove down Main Street, he noticed a tall man rushing down the sidewalk, with a huge pile of papers and books stacked high in his arms. There was nothing particularly remarkable about this man, however the omega found himself fixated on the dark haired stranger.

The man certainly had questionable fashion sense, wearing an ill-fitting tan overcoat. His dark hair was ruffled, sticking every way but down, a small curl below his ear grabbing Dean’s particular attention.

The sound of a horn snapped the omega’s attention forward, at the last moment, and he slammed on the breaks, just before he veered into a parked car. His trance broken, he shook off the shock, and carefully navigated the rest of the way to the diner.

Dean walked into Benny’s at ten to ten, and the diner was in absolute mayhem. Apparently the breakfast rush had been crazy busy, and Charlie had called in sick. So with one man down, Meg looked as though she was ready to kill, and even Benny was breaking a sweat.

Dean knew when to hustle, and it seemed now was the time. He ran through the diner, grabbing his apron and a tray, and started bussing the tables, freeing up room for new customers, since they appeared to be flowing through the door at an unexpectedly rapid rate.

“Fuck Thanksgiving!” Meg hissed into his ear as he was carrying another tray full of dirty dishes back to the kitchen. _Thanksgiving?_ In all his time in Trinity, Dean hadn’t given much thought to the time of year. He’d known it was fall. Beyond that he hadn’t considered the date.

Thanksgiving didn’t resonate with the young omega; he had no feeling one way or another as to the appeal of the time of year. Somehow he knew he had never ‘celebrated’ such an event. The impact of his dream confirming his life was not like those of the people he had met since arriving here. If Meg hated the holiday, perhaps they would find some common ground here after all.

Dean finally made it to the last table to be cleared, the booth Bobby and he would always take when they visited for pie. It was the one with the perfect view of the shiny, crimson beauty in the parking lot. An empty coffee cup and a small plate with the remnants of pie crumbs sat on the vinyl table top. As the omega cleared away the dishes and wiped down the surface, he caught a glimpse of something on the floor below, near the window.

Bending over the bench seat, Dean was met with the enticing scent of spiced apples, and the aroma appeared to be emanating from the object on the floor. He reached down to pick it up, a strange tingle running from his fingers straight up his arm, shooting to his heart. That vital organ began to beat rapidly, the sweet apple spice rolling over him in waves of pleasure. The object held further secrets, Dean thought. Its scent, which was overpowering the omega, had a depth that was more than just an apple pie dream. That scent was unmistakably alpha.

“Deano, what the hell are you doing?” Meg’s voice came crashing into the omega, shaking him from his trance. He looked to the woman, who raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. Gazing to his hands, he held a book, which he was rubbing against his cheek and _scenting?_

“Oh… um... I found this on the floor by table two.” The omega awkwardly showed his co-worker the book, being sure to keep it close to him for fear she would snatch it from his grip.

“Jesus. Clarence must have left it behind. He’s always forgetting things. Just chuck it out back, he’ll be back to pick it up tomorrow. Now come on, table four needs bussing, and have you seen the pile of washing in the kitchen? Boy, you are gonna be slammed today!” Meg’s level of snark was at an all time high, and with that, she was off hustling orders from the kitchen.

Dean did take the book back to the staff room, but for some reason he put it in his locker instead of the lost property box. Shutting the door on that enigma, he bustled back to the kitchen to tackle the mountain of washing in front of him.

The shift passed in a flurry of energy. No one had a moment to themselves, not even enough to take a breather. Dean had barely spoken to Benny or Meg the whole day, and once again closing time came as a shock to the omega.

Benny clapped Dean on the back, pulling him into the staff room, where Meg sat with her legs up on the table, leaning back on the two back legs of the flimsy chair.

“Great shift, you two. Gonna put a little extra in your pay checks this week for all the hard work you’ve done today. Meg, thanks for staying on and covering Charlie’s shift. I owe you one.” Benny was obviously trying to give them a pep talk, but his voice was weary. It had clearly been a big day for all of them.

“No problemo, sugar.” Meg said with a wink, tossing her hair out of the ponytail that had held it together all day. “But don’t expect me to cover her shift tomorrow. You know if I have to face another day of happy holiday-makers I’ll go postal. I don’t think that would be good for business now, do you boss man?”

Benny sighed. Obviously this was a thing he was well aware of because the alpha didn’t reprimand the bad attitude. Instead he sent them both on their way home, with a container of pie and another thank you for all the hard work.

……….

Dean arrived home a little after nine, to find Bobby asleep on the sofa, softly snoring. The omega smiled fondly at the sleeping alpha, tenderly wrapping the old man in a throw kept on the back of the couch. Then he wandered into the kitchen.

A note on the counter informed the young man that dinner was keeping warm in the oven. Opening up the door revealed a plate wrapped in foil, containing leftovers from the previous night’s feast. Dean tucked in with gusto, filling his empty stomach with delicious saucy meat and potatoes.

Just as the omega was clearing the last of the mess away, the phone on the wall next to the refrigerator rang out, it’s shrill tone shattering the quiet of the house. Bobby jumped out of the seat with a start, muttering to himself about the late hour. Dean being closer grabbed the phone before the alpha was even untangled from his blanket.

“Hello?” The late hour had Dean’s hackles up, preparing for the worst.

“Dean, it’s Benny. Sorry to call so late, I figured you’d be up. Hope I didn’t disturb the old man.”

Dean huffed out a laugh at that, “Well maybe he just flew outta his chair, but he’ll keep. What’s up?”

“I’m sure Bobby told you I was looking into getting you some omega papers?” The alpha inquired.

“He sure did.” The young omega held his breath waiting for the reply.

“Great. So my guy has gotten back to me, and he wants to meet tomorrow. I can get someone to cover the breakfast shift for me, if you want, so I can pick you up and we can head over before you start work?”

“Ah… that was quick. Yeah, sure thing, Benny. That would be great.” Dean’s heart was hammering hard in his chest; this was the last thing to make his life here official. He was excited and nervous all at once.

“Great, well I’ll see you at seven AM bright and early. Sleep well, little brother.” With that Benny signed off, leaving the line blank and Dean standing with the receiver in his hand.

Bobby was hanging around the omega, trying to understand what was happening from a one-sided conversation. The scare had woken him with a start, but now he was feeling the pull of sleep.

“Well, boy, don’t keep me waiting, what did Benny want at this hour?” Bobby’s gruff voice had a hint of worry at the edges of it.

“Don’t worry, old man, Benny’s guy wants to see me tomorrow about my papers, is all.” Dean said with a cheeky glint in his eye. This was the first time he’d risked a gentle tease at the alpha’s expense and he was a little apprehensive at how he’d take it.

Bobby just cracked a smile, then started chuckling, a wheezing laugh, patting the young man on the back. “Good thing I like you, kid. That’s great news. Alright then I’m off to bed, see you in the morning.” With that Bobby walked down the hall to his room, muttering, “I ain’t no old man, the nerve of him,” under his breath as he went.

  
……….

  
Dean collected his forgotten bag from the front door and retired to his bedroom. He threw the bag on the bed, heading to the drawers to pick out fresh clothes to sleep in. As the bag fell to the bed, the impact had it spilling its contents out and onto the floor. The sound of a deep thud and the heavenly aroma of pure alpha filled the room.

The omega’s head snapped to the bag, instantly forgetting what he was doing and rushing to retrieve the overlooked book from the where it had landed on the ground.

His first instinct was to press his nose firmly to the pages and engulf himself in the scent of this mysterious alpha. _What had Meg called him? Clarence?_ However, the omega’s curiosity to really look at the book was stronger.

Turning the book so he could read the cover, the omega took in the title.

_The Book Of Were wolves; Being an Account of Terrible Superstitions. By Sabine Baring-Gould, M.A. 1865._

Dean pondered the curious tome. What sort of person would be reading this at a diner? It was by no means a light read, as the omega found out by flipping through the pages and reading a passage.

_The subject of this first installment, though horrible, is nevertheless full of interest and importance as elucidating a very obscure and mysterious chapter in the history of the Human Mind. When a form of superstition is prevalent everywhere, and in all ages, it must rest upon a foundation of fact; what that foundation actually is, I have, I hope, proved conclusively in the following pages_

The paragraph was dog-eared and underlined in pencil several times, Dean found himself running his fingers over the print trying to get closer to understanding this alpha... _his alpha?_

That thought had the young omega blushing, the heat filling his cheeks fast. He collapsed on his back to the bed, bringing the book up to his face and settling his nose into the open pages.

The spiced alpha scent settled over the omega, filling him with a sense of absolute serenity. The aroma did other things to the young man, tantalizing things, stirring up feelings he had not experienced since his first days in Trinity.

The omega’s body was growing hot, his work clothes clinging to him at the small of his back and the seat of the pants. He rolled off the bed, reluctantly leaving the book where it lay on the pillow.

Stripping his clothes off, the omega ran his hands over his abdomen, the coolness of his fingertips sending goosebumps over his heated skin. He could feel the slick starting to slip out between his thighs, a droplet trickling down his balls and dropping to the floor.

Dean crawled onto the bed over the covers, to sink down on his side. He had his head resting on the pillow, the book falling into the crook of his neck. With a smooth swipe of his cheek, the omega took a deep, deep breath of alpha.

The omega closed his eyes, letting everything else fall away, leaving only the scent of spiced apples and alpha to consume him. He tried to conjure up an image of the mysterious alpha, but all his mind would supply was the awkward man he’d seen on the way to work this morning. That dark, wonderfully mussed-up hair sitting atop strong shoulders and big alpha thighs. A body full of power and strength, a body made for protecting and providing.

Dean felt the slick pouring from him, a new release with each detail he imagined of his alpha. He could feel the weight of his cock lying against his stomach, and every inch of his skin seemed to vibrate with need and want.

The omega slowly brought his hand up to his face, picturing the alpha’s caress, as he stroked his cheek, dusting his jaw with hundreds of imagined kisses. His fingertips continued their journey down his neck leaving a trail of electricity in their wake.

Dean sighed, drawing in a lungful of that intoxicating aroma from the book, and he could feel the forming of some kind of profound bond, melding between the scent at his nose and the images in his mind. His hand trailed down across his chest, the young omega letting out a mewl of pleasure when his fingers grazed his nipples.

[](http://imgur.com/IRhctSu)

He couldn’t help but plead with his alpha, beg him to caress his very soul, take away all the unknown, and fill him with love, complete him with his very breath, envelope him in his strength. Dean felt himself giving his whole being over to this shadowy alpha.

There wasn’t just one person in the bed now, but two souls clinging to each other with everything they had.

The omega found his body driven by another’s force, a disconnect forming from his movements, unable to distinguish his own touch, from the imagined alpha’s. Dean rolled onto his back, one hand playfully pinching and teasing at his hardened nipples, tantalizing the omega. His other hand slid down his torso, sprinkling a path of goosebumps in its wake. The hand’s journey stopped at the junction of the omega’s thigh.

Whining when his phantom lover tormented the sensitive skin at the base of his cock, teasing the bed of curls which lay there, Dean couldn’t keep the moans from falling from his mouth, the prayer of “Alpha, please,” spilling from his lips in a continuous stream.

The perfume of aroused omega filled the small room, slick pooling in the sheets below him. With a sudden force that startled the omega, he flipped his body over, bring his knees up under him, burying his face in the pages of the book and pushing his ass in the air. The cool air hitting his soaking hole sent shivers up the omega’s spine.

With one arm bent to support his weight, the other finally relented in its teasing, firmly gripping his swollen member. A pornographic moan escaped from the omega’s lips as the hand swept up and down his cock, twisting under the head, his thumb swiping over his slit before plunging down the shaft again.

The litany of prayer continued to spill from his mouth, and the omega could feel the weight of his alpha, draped over his back, his hole clenching around nothing, feeling so empty, begging to be filled.

Dean couldn’t help but bite down on the pages of the book, he was so incredibly turned on, begging his alpha to take him, make him his, mate him, fill him up.

Taking his weight on his shoulders, the omega slowly brought his free hand up, fingers grabbing at his ass, taking the flesh in a playful squeeze. Slick gushed from his hole at the prospect of being caressed. Timid fingers made their way between his cheeks, swiping through the copious amounts of sexual essence.

When his finger made contact with his hole, Dean was lost, coming with a scream of pure unadulterated lust, plummeting out of his very soul, the echo’s of “Alpha!” ringing in his ears along with his heartbeat, narrowing down the omega’s only sensations to the lightning bolts coursing through his body.

In the back of Dean’s mind he knew he was being loud, he knew that Bobby would be able to hear, however there was nothing he could do to stop himself in the moment. The alpha scent so intoxicating he had no control at all.

The sated omega tumbled back down to the mattress, falling to his back, as he tried to regulate his breathing. Suddenly he became aware of the book under his head, poking harshly into his ear. Dean picked it up, smoothing the crumpled pages with his slick soaked fingers. He blushed when he realized he’d now mingled his own fragrance with that of the alpha’s.

The thought gave him great pleasure. Together their scents were heavenly to the omega’s nose, and when he closed the novel, he brought it up to his face with weary limbs, curling around his alpha’s aroma, and falling into a deep sated sleep.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was so much fun to write. Please let me know what you think! I love you all xx
> 
> A big thank you to [Beestiels](http://beestiels.tumblr.com/) for her amazing artwork. 
> 
> I have decided i'll be commissioning artwork for this fic while I go, so watch out for more amazing pieces in the future
> 
>  
> 
> [Here's a link to the tumblr post](http://beestiels.tumblr.com/post/128886814538/whataboutthefish-beestiels-commission-for) in case you'd like to share!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a reminder on the previous chapter - Benny arranged to meet Dean and get his omega papers in order, and of course Dean had some fun times with his mysterious alpha's scent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay. I'm back to writing 500 - 800 words a day and my mojo is totally back, so hopefully chapters will be coming much faster from now on.  
> Thanks for sticking with me x

Dean had slept better that night than he could remember ever having slept before. His body and mind had been wiped of all tension in the early hours of the previous evening, a night spent with his mysterious alpha.  Dean’s mind was clear when he woke.  No remnants of nightmares clawing at his consciousness, just the sweet relief of a good rest.  He was curled around the book, the scent keeping him safe.  

 

Bobby was nowhere to be seen that morning, the door to his room remained closed, and Dean thought he could hear the soft snores of the alpha down the hall.  He had to admit, he was more than a little grateful he didn’t need to see Bobby.  He couldn’t remember exactly, but he knew in the throes of passion last night, he may have been a little loud.

 

Embarrassment aside, Dean felt liberated in a way, waking surrounded in the comfort of home… because that’s what it felt like.  Not just the sanctuary Bobby had given him, but the combined scent of Dean and his mysterious alpha enveloping him, had the omega in a happy place.

 

Walking through the home, Dean’s hands idled on the family portrait containing a younger Bobby with Karen and the two children.  He often found himself imagining that he was one of those kids. The nights where sleep eluded him, he would conjure up memories of a loving family.  He imagined growing up with a mother and a father, a past of safety and belonging.

 

Dean felt as though something had changed inside of him, as well.  Like the tumbler of a lock, another chink was set in place to open something hidden inside.  It was as though this scent of alpha had filled in a space Dean didn’t know was missing.

 

Benny arrived early, the deep roar of Ginger’s engine bringing Dean running out to the front porch.  He was all ready to go, so he jumped into the Impala to the rich smell of coffee, old worn leather and the comforting scent of his friend.

 

\---------

 

“Morning, brother.  You seem spritely this morning.”  Benny greeted Dean, handing him a takeaway cup of steaming hot coffee.  

 

“Thanks, Benny.  Yeah, had the best sleep ever.”  The omega replied with a perky smile.

 

“I need to run you off your feet more often, then.”  Benny teased.  However the blush that rose in Dean’s cheeks made the alpha do a double take.    
  
Benny wasn’t out to embarrass Dean, but filed the information away for later.  Obviously something or someone had taken the omega’s fancy.  The little mystery sitting next to him seemed to have a crush, at least the happy omega hormones flying into the cab of the car were telling him so.  

 

The pair sat in comfortable silence for a while, sipping on their hot drinks, as Benny steered the impala further out of town.  

 

The countryside and farmland passed them in a blur.  Benny was please to be getting away from the town for a while, letting Ginger stretch her legs for once.  It had been some time since the alpha and his Impala had been out of Trinity.  The daily commute nothing more than a five minute trip was no way to treat his girl, day in day out.  A car like Ginger was meant to be driven hard and driven fast.

 

Benny noticed the omega next to him start to get restless, shuffling in his seat, and seemingly unable to work out what to do with his hands.  It was after a few moments that Dean finally spoke.

 

“So, Benny, who is this guy we’re seeing, anyway?”  

 

“S’names Ash, he’s a good fella.  Met him back when I was serving, he was in intelligence.  Best damn hacker I’ve ever met and a genius to boot.  Military figured he was safer to have with them than against, I think.  He got his discharge papers around the time I finished up.  He never did tell me why, but I think he was just too much of a freedom fighter to be part of the military.”

 

Benny heard Dean chuckle under his breath, and he realized just how much of an oxymoron his statement contained.  He mused over this for a moment.  People never did give omega’s enough credit - clearly Dean was a smart young man, (whether he’d had any education or training, Benny was still unsure on that count) however, it was clear Dean was a quick learner and sharp as a tack.

 

Benny took a left off the main road, and drove into a deeply forested area, the road slowly giving way to a dirt track the further they traveled.  The alpha found himself wincing more than once, at the sound of rocks and stones flicking up onto his Ginger’s body, and he shifted down to a slow crawl to save his girls dignity.

 

“Paranoid fucker, lives ‘off the grid’ for the most part, although god only knows how he powers up his laptop, but like I said, dude’s a genius.”  Benny muttered.

 

A moment later, a clearing opened up before them and Benny brought the car to a stop.  

 

A circle of grassland had been deforested to make way for a quaint log cabin.  It had everything you’d imagine a place in the woods to have, a small smoke stack stood atop the single story roof, a covered stoop was at the front with a hammock strung up between the posts.

 

Benny sounded the horn in a peculiar fashion four quick toots followed by one long blast, another three quick ones, a long blast and a final toot.

 

“Friend or foe?”  Dean queried looking at the alpha with confusion written across his face.

 

Benny felt his eyebrows shoot straight up.  
  
He’d just signaled in Morse an agreed code for _identification friend or foe,_ a term that Benny had always used to let Ash know it was him.  His friend had been somewhat jumpy since leaving the armed forces.

 

The question was how did Dean know what that meant?

 

“Yeah, brother.  Ash can be paranoid, I learnt after the first time I found myself staring down the end of a shotgun, that it was best to announce my arrival.”

 

Benny observed the shrug the omega gave him, shaking his head a little, stunned at the new information revealed to him.  How many people, let alone omega’s, had a working knowledge of Morse code?  

 

Benny exited the car, knocking his fist on the roof of Ginger to let Dean know it was safe to follow.  He trailed behind Benny as they walked up the path to the front door of the cabin.  

 

Halfway up the steps Ash opened the door.  He was dressed in a green singlet, layered with a flannel shirt, the sleeves of which had been torn off at some point.  Benny had never figured out his friends designation, the guy always wore heavy duty scent blockers apparently even when he was at home alone, so the thing that always stood out most about his friend was his shoulder length mullet.  That was, until he opened his mouth and that good old boy twang came out.  

 

“Buenos dias, bitches!  Benny, man it’s good to see you,” Ash embraced the alpha in a one armed hug, then moved around the man to look over Dean. “And you must be Dean,” He refrained from hugging the omega in favor of a handshake, then he was hustling them inside.

 

Ash clapped his hands together once they were settled around a makeshift bar, setup at one end of the cabin.  “So you need some omega papers, hey?  On the lam are we?” He said with a wink.

 

Benny immediately saw how Dean stiffened, the panicked scent seeping out between the men within moments.  Benny placed his big hand on the young man’s back, and shot a look at Ash, which conveyed his disapproval.

 

“Woah there, matey, it’s all good, I don’t need to know anything.  In fact, I prefer it that way.” Ash quickly tried to settle the omega before him, and simmer down the posturing alpha, by reaching under the bar and retrieving a bottle of whiskey and a couple of glasses.   
  
He didn’t think twice about pouring a couple of fingers and sliding it over to Dean and Benny.

“Bit early for the hard stuff, don’t ya think?”  Benny asked with a smirk, this didn’t stop him picking it up and downing it in one go - the nerves of his young charge clinging to him in ways he wouldn’t expect from their short friendship.

 

Dean, for his part, hesitated.    
  
It wasn’t until Benny realized he was looking to him for permission, that he huffed out a laugh and said “Have at it, kid.  Won’t do you no harm.”

 

Benny was surprised when the omega downed the shot in one go, not even wincing at the burn Ash’s backyard bootleg whiskey surely left.  “Holy hell, kid!  You done that before?”  Benny huffed out in shock.

 

“Good man! That’ll put hairs on your chest.”  Ash jovially congratulated Dean.

 

“Now, should we get down to business?”  Ash retrieved his laptop from under the counter, a monster of a contraption.   
  
As barely recognizable as the object it was, a screen and keyboard hooked up around several large metal boxes, and suspicious looking wires were tangling around the whole thing.

 

Benny cleared his throat, taking the lead for Dean’s sake.  “Thanks, brother.  I guess we’re just wanting something that looks all above board and safe.”  He ran his hand over his stubbled jaw, taking a moment to collect his thoughts.

 

“Dean here is staying with Bobby Singer, you know, the old alpha who owns the scrapyard in Trinity?”    
  
Ash nodded his head in recognition as Benny continued.    
  
“We’d like him to be under Bobby’s care, as his nephew.  I guess I’ll let you take it from here.  I’m not all that versed in the needs of omega papers, and all that.”

 

Ash started typing into his laptop as he spoke, “Well, first it’s best we have a new name for him, don’t want nothing coming back to his original papers.”  

 

It was then Dean spoke up, the alpha observing how his whole demeanor had changed.  Apparently, having a plan made the young man settle more readily than he’d seen him settle before.    
  
“I don’t know what my real name is, so we can go with Dean.  I think Smith would work as a last name, right?”

 

“Dean Smith, nice, very Mr. Nobody.  That’s what we want, I can work with this.”  Ash said approvingly.  

 

“So here’s what we need to do - we can’t just go with the omega papers, if anyone digs far enough in it will be glaringly obvious that it’s a fake.  We need a paper trail.  Lets start with doctors, vaccinations and the like, then presentation reports.  Maybe some education records, family records, transferal of guardianship papers… hmm what else.”  Ash was on a roll, it appeared as if his mind was running a million miles an hour, yet on the outside he was calm and collected, while his fingers were travelling over the keyboard at a lightning pace.

 

Benny hadn’t realized how much was involved in the life of an omega in society today, he was an only child, his omega father had died in childbirth - so his contact with other omega’s had never been on such a personal level, until now.

 

“So Dean’s unable to be self sufficient?  He has to be in the care of Bobby, is that right?”  Benny mused out loud.

 

“Yeah, it’s not common for a young omega to be independent.  Sure, some old widows and spinsters whose family have died off become independent.  But society still ain’t safe for omegas, you feel me.”  Ash replied.

 

Benny knew what his friend was saying had to be true.  It just really got his hackles up, that someone as bright and strong as Dean had to be owned by another person  just to be safe.  It really wasn’t right.

 

Ash started chuckling to himself as he worked, the chuckle fast turning into a full on belly laugh.  Benny looked at him and started to bristle, surely nothing they were doing could be funny?  “Care to share with the class, brother.”  He asked.

 

Ash looked up at him, a cheeky glint in his eye.  “These doctors papers man, I was just remembering back to that time when we were on leave and you hooked up with that amazing smelling omega.”  

 

Benny shot Ash a glare, that if looks could kill would have had his friend on the ground in seconds, however there was no stopping him once Ash got into a story.

 

“The look on your face man, it was priceless!” Ash clapped his hands together with glee.

 

Dean cleared his throat, “What the hell you on about?”  

 

Both men snapped their heads around, lost in reminiscences and stories half told, forgetting about the omega for a moment.

 

“Oh man you gotta hear this, old man Benny here charmed his way into a persian princesses harem pants, and well, he was just too cocky for his own good, strutting around camp like the cat that got the cream.”  Ash was up on his feet mimicking the alphas movements.

 

“I was not!”  Benny protested.

 

“Come on, dude, don’t even try to pretend!  So anyway me and a coupla the crew needed to take him down a few notches.  Got my hands on some itching powder and laced his military issued briefs.  Next thing we know, he’s practically running to the medics, screamin’ _she gave me the clap!_ at the top of his alpha lungs.”  Ash was now reduced to a puddle of tears and laughter.

 

Benny was blushing furiously, trying to keep a straight face but failing miserably.

 

Ash settled back down behind his computer, wiping the tears from his eyes, and resuming his serious work.  It was like a lightswitch the way he went from joking around to down to work action.

 

“Alrighty, partner,”  Ash turned his focus to Dean.  “We need to work out how long ago your presentation was, so… how old are you?”

 

“I don’t know.”  The young omega bowed his head a little.

 

Without missing a beat Ash responded “Well, pretty face like yours could pass for any number of years.  But let’s put you at 26, yeah?  Nice mature age for a working omega, won’t go raising too many eyebrows.  Can say your uncle is just trying to get you out there to find you a mate, right?”  

 

Benny looked to Dean trying to gauge if the mention of a mate would send the omega into a tailspin of emotions, however what he saw was the rise of color flood the young man's cheeks, and the tips of his ears going impossibly red.   _Interesting_ , the alpha thought, so he really does have a crush.

 

Of course his friend didn’t miss this either, letting out a sleazy laugh, winking at Dean and saying, “Gotcha eye on someone don’tcha.  Nice one, brother.”  

 

Dean nearly choked on his tongue - right then and there, clearly not aware his emotions had shown so obviously to the others.   
  
Benny clapped him on the back, helping him through his coughing fit, chuckling, “Nothing wrong with a little crush, brother.”  Then poured them both another shot of the hard stuff.

 

Ash took them both through a plethora of questions to fill in the required papers, and after an hour he slammed the lid of his computer down with a triumphant hurrah. “And that my friend, is how you become a legitimate omega in the eyes of the law.”

 

Benny checked his watch, they had less than an hour to get back to the diner in time for their shift, so pleasantries would have to be cut short.  He noticed how Dean was glowing; the set of his shoulders as relaxed as he’d ever seen them.  The bootleg whiskey was probably partly to play in this, but Benny figured the folder he was holding with all his official documents was the real reason.

 

Ash and Dean were shooting the shit while Benny sat and observed, he was guzzling some water, trying to clear his head before the drive back.  Ash must have been trying out a new recipe for his whiskey, because he was sure it hadn’t hit him so hard last time, and he refused to believe that he was getting soft in his old age.

 

“Hey Ash, thanks for this, we really appreciate it.”  Benny chimed in.  “It’s time we should be hitting the road, the diner will fall apart if I don’t get back soon.”  He joked, and started heading towards the door.

 

Dean gathered his things, shaking Ash’s hand and making to leave when he turned around and said “Hey, man, thanks for everything… oh and I dig the hair cut!”

 

A look of smug satisfaction came over Ash’s face as he replied pointing at his forehead.  “All business up front,” and with a flick of his wrist pushing the long hair over his shoulder “Party in the back.”

  
Ash could probably still hear Benny’s loud barking laugh as he was driving away.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, I love to hear your thoughts and feelings!
> 
> p.s. I swear to god Cas is coming soon! (I have a rebellious muse)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I need to do a little timeline clarification.
> 
> Being Australian I had no idea that Thanksgiving was on a Thursday, in my head I just assumed it was Sunday... Sooooo I am going back to edit chapter 6 to make the days clear.
> 
> Chapter 6 is the Tuesday before Thanksgiving and Chapters 7 and 8 take place on the Wednesday.
> 
> Anyho... on with the chapter... I hope you enjoy x

The diner was jam packed with patrons when Dean and Benny arrived, Benny’s usual spot out front was taken.  The pair drove around to the back entrance, both taking a moment to gather themselves; the calm before the Thanksgiving storm.    
  
Trinity was on a natural path between two big cities, and although a freeway had been built some year before, many people liked to take the scenic root.  Benny’s became a regular spot for the road tripping families to stop in at the Wednesday before Thanksgiving.

 

Dean went straight to the staff room, depositing his newly acquired papers into his locker and slipped on his apron, ready to hit the floor.

 

When Dean walked out through the kitchen and he heard Charlie mention his name, his ears perked up, as he paused.  

 

“…oh no, but Dean was on yesterday and he should be here any minute, if you’d like to stick around…”  Charlie was chatting with a familiarity she used for the regular customers.

 

Dean couldn’t see whom she was talking to, so he started to make his way out into the diner; that was when two things happened.

 

First, Charlie turned to see Dean, a huge smile spreading across her face, words on the tip of her tongue.

 

Second, Dean was hit hard with the overwhelming scent of his alpha, and the gaze of a man before him that had him freeze on the spot.

 

“Dean, just the man I was looking for!  Cas, here, lost his book yesterday and did y’….” Charlie cut herself off, staring intensely at Dean.  “Woah, dude, you look like you’re about to faint.”  Charlie started walking towards the omega, getting closer and scrunching her nose.

 

Dean couldn’t process a thing.  His vision had been reduced to a tunnel, the edges blurring to nothing, as the only thing in focus was a dark haired man with the most captivating gaze he had ever seen.  

 

Everything went blue, the color of a summer's sky.  The scent of apples and spices so strong, it felt as if it was clawing at his every orifice searching for a way inside him.  But the blue was there too, in a moment of clarity, a thought flitted through his brain - _can you smell a color_?   

 

He was fighting every fibre in his body to stop his knees from crashing to the floor.  The pull was so magnetic, the scent a thousand times greater than he could have imagined.

 

He was vaguely aware of a Charlie shaped blur touching him, but he couldn’t concentrate on that, because as soon as the beta laid a hand on him a feral growl erupted from the alpha’s throat.  

 

The noise had Dean whimpering, hot tears spilling from his eyes.  The only other sound was the incessant thud of two heart beats hammering inside his head, their ever increasing pace making the omega dizzy.

 

Dean’s knees finally gave out, and sent him crashing to the floor with enough force he should have howled out in pain, however he felt nothing.  It was as if the scent of the other man was a pillow cocooning him, keeping him safe.

 

His face was wet now, he could feel a cool stream of sweat dripping down his back, making him shudder as it slipped down the back of his pants.  He fell forward to his hands, he could feel his back arching as his head lowered of it’s own volition.

 

Strong hands were suddenly heaving him up, lifting him off the floor and hauling him away, away from his alpha, away from his home.  

 

He was screaming now, clawing the shoulders that he was hung over, ripping into fabric, then flesh, in an attempt to be released.  

 

The thrumming duel heartbeats fading out to leave just his own, the sounds pouring from him coming to the forefront now.

 

He could hear screams coming from behind him, the crashing of plates and glasses falling to the floor and bodies heaving in a fight.  The words being growled out behind him running through his body like ice and fire.  

 

The words, “MINE!” reverberating through his whole being.

 

Dean could feel himself give way to that wild beast that lay within.  Letting it take over, sweep through his body and take away any rational thought he had left.  The animal was livid, wanted to get back to it’s mate, wanting to submit and be taken, filled, made complete.

 

\--------

 

Everything went dark when the beast took over.  

 

Dean was nothing more than an instinctual being.  

 

So when he was suddenly dropped into a bath of ice cold water, the shock of abruptly being inside his own body again had the omega shrieking.  The pain that engulfed him was unlike anything the omega had felt before.  It was nothing compared to the way his body had felt when he’d arrived at Bobby’s home, no, this was like being ripped apart, skinned and torn from the inside out.

 

His vision blacked out, and he began to shake uncontrollably.  He could hear his own sobs coming out in rattles and gulps; the sound was gut-wrenching, even to him. He couldn’t stop; he had an emptiness entwined within the pain, that was threatening to eat him alive.  

 

He could hear other voices near him, muffled, and broken by his own sounds.  Pulling all the strength he had within him, he zeroed in on the words being spoken around him.

 

“What the heck, Benny!  Now you stop for just one sec and tell me why my boy’s in such a state, right now!”  The voice was laced with alpha aggression, which made Dean shudder harder where he sat.

 

A strong female voice piped up, “Listen, Bobby, you should have seen them.  I was talking to Cas Novak, he’d lost his book the previous day, and Dean had just arrived, I was just asking him a question when it happened.  Dean got down and presented in the middle of the diner!  Cas was no better, feral growls coming out of him, god, it was horrible.”

 

Dean felt a bolt of lightning strike his heart when the name of his alpha was spoken.    
  
Cas…   
  
He wanted to shout the name out, scream until his throat bled.  He needed Cas, he needed to wrap himself in that name, purr it out into his alpha’s mouth, spell it out in worship on his alpha’s skin.

  
  


“Wait, you’re telling me he just dropped and presented?” Bobby demanded.

 

“Yes, brother.  Look, I’m sorry he’s in such a state, but he couldn’t do that there.  I have no idea what has gotten into him…” Benny stood awkwardly rubbing the back of his head with his giant hand.  “I gave him a few drinks at Ash’s this morning and well, I’m sorry.  I didn’t know they’d gone to his head like that.”

 

“What?  Benny, you fool!  That’s got nothing to do with it.  I’ve only seen that happen once before, and it was with my Karen.  Do you know what you’ve done?”  Bobby’s voice still held an edge of anger, but now Dean could feel the concern pouring off of the alpha.

 

The female spoke up again, hesitation in her voice.  “But, Bobby you should have seen them, their eyes, Bobby.  I’ve never seen an omega’s eyes go like that.  It scared the hell outta me.”  Her voice hitched as it sounded like she was holding back tears.  

 

Charlie?  Charlie was here too.  Dean started to put the female voice he’d heard, together with the jasmine scented beta.  His friend was here for _him_?

  
Dean cast his mind back, he couldn’t recall seeing her after she had touched his arm.  

 

What was going on?  What was wrong with their eyes? All he could think about was the blue that was so bright he could taste it, smell it when it washed over him.

 

Dean felt someone shift closer to him.  It was Bobby, his scent calming his nerves, somewhat, and stilling the tremors.    
  
A gentle hand touched his back, the skin of the palms feeling like ice to his burning body.  He hadn’t realized how hot he’d felt until that very moment, the touch sending a shiver through him.

 

A gentle voice drifted over Dean, “S’right, son, just gonna take a look at your eyes here, ok.”  

 

Dean didn’t move, as he felt the alpha gently pry one of his eyelids open.  The bright light in the room a shock to his system, however his vision was still tunneled, tinted blue and blurred.

 

“Balls!”  Bobby exclaimed.  Following up with a gentle, “S’ok boy we got you, it’s all gonna be ok.”

 

Dean felt the alpha retreat again.

 

“I’ve never seen that in an omega.  I mean red eyes in an alpha in the peak of rut’s not unheard of, ‘specially in these cases, but…” Bobby sounded exacerbated.

 

An audible sigh fell from Bobby’s lips, “Do you two knuckleheads know what you’ve done?”  

 

Dean could hear the other two people shifting their feet, murmurs of “No, sir,” shifting through the air.

 

“This Cas Novak’s his truemate, soulmate, rare as all heck and you just ripped them away from each other.  Boy’s on fire, he’s been pushed straight into heat, and I won’t be surprised if we have an out of control alpha on our doorstep before sundown.”

 

_Truemates?_

  
  
The word rang out over and over inside his head.    
  
Until this morning, Dean had never even entertained the idea of being mated; the small jests at Ash’s cabin, at the time, making him blush furiously and his heart flutter.  Those were the first moments he was aware something like that could happen to him.

 

He knew nothing of what that meant when it came to true, soulmates.  

 

Bobby had mentioned his Karen.  They’d been destined to be with one another, and now she was gone, Bobby was a stale, old alpha.  The ramifications of future loss reverberating through the omega.  They had only just met and now, now they were lost to each other, and it hurt so much Dean could only imagine how Bobby had felt.

 

The rational part of Dean’s brain, (what little there was left) wanted to flee from his mate, run as far away as he could and never look back.  That fear he’d been whittling away since arriving in Trinity, coming back with vengeance.

 

However the other part of his mind, the part that was screaming out, “Cas.  Mate.  Cas.” Over and over, clung to the final words that Bobby had offered.  

 

His mate would be coming for him.  He only had to hold on tight, claw his way through the pain and the blackness threatening to take over.  He could survive this, he could do this for his alpha.

 

He was strong.

 

He could wait.

 

“I didn’t know, Bobby.  I’m sorry.  I just… I didn’t think he’d want to be claimed by some knothead in the middle of my diner.  You can’t tell me that I’m wrong about that, now, can you?”  Benny’s deep voice, was laced with apology and submission to the older man.

 

“God only knows how the boy is still alive.  You could have killed him, Benny.  Alls I can think is my scent’s got enough of the feel of family in it to have helped, but he’s gonna be hurting soon if I don’t get something of that alpha’s for him, and fast.”  Dean could hear Bobby running his fingers through the coarse hair of his unshaven face.

 

In that moment Dean knew what he needed.  
  
And the thought of having it close, pulled him the last few yards out of himself.  Just enough to get his mouth around two words.  

 

“The book.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can find me over on [Tumblr here](http://whataboutthefish.tumblr.com/)
> 
> Come join the party and say hi!


	9. Chapter 9

Castiel Novak was a creature of habit and routine.  He supposed that’s what a life in academia would do to a person, the skills to be self driven came with the lifestyle.

 

He didn’t conform to society's ideals of how an alpha should conduct themselves.  He was calm and collected, never rash or impetuous, he thrived on order and self control rather than letting his beast rule his life.

 

In a family dominated by head strong alphas, and one rather free spirited omega, Castiel stood out like a sore thumb.  He was the black sheep, ostracized and constantly under the scrutiny of his family’s eyes.

 

He lived alone in a big house, keeping to himself most of the time.  He had no interest in finding a mate to fill his house with pups, as his mother was constantly harassing him about.  Why did people think the most important thing in an alpha’s life was to fill some omega full of pups and carry on the bloodline?  

 

For Castiel, his life was lived in the past, in a way.  He found comfort in anthropology, timelines, facts and hypothesis.  He enjoyed delving into history, as far back as he could go, and this made him happy.

 

Since he was a young pup, Castiel had loved history.  In fact, that was one of the reasons he’d ended up here in Trinity.  At the age of nine, he had taken it upon himself to work back through the Novak family tree.  His dream had been to trace their lineage back to the time of packs and clans or even further - and be the first person to ever pinpoint the exact moment they had evolved from the wolves.

 

Such big dreams for a nine year old, he hadn’t realized the work involved to move back past even their living relatives.  That was how he had discovered a long lost great-uncle.  Apparently Nanna Novak had a pup out of mateship, giving him up for adoption and never mentioning him to the family again.

 

Great-uncle Balthazar was an eccentric wealthy bachelor alpha, his adoptive parents had given him a great life, he had no hard feelings to his lost family.  He was sent to the best boarding schools in England, and made his personal fortune in acquiring rare and coveted ancient artifacts for private sale.  Castiel, of course, had mixed feeling about this line of business.  Although he loved antiques and items of historical import, he didn’t think they should be kept in private collection away from the public. He believed they should be kept in museums in the countries they came from, for people to see the work of their ancestors.

 

Balthazar had moved to Trinity in his ‘retirement’; living out his twilight years as he called them, in the quiet town.  He still had a hand in the industry, and would disappear for months on end, in search of a specific piece only his expertise could riddle out.

 

A nine year old Castiel had written a letter to this mysterious member of his family, and was surprised when he received a reply in a flourished flowery hand, insisting he come visit when he was on holidays.  His parents had taken some convincing, but come summer he found himself on a bus with a packed lunch and a small suitcase off to visit his great-uncle.

 

Castiel’s relationship with Balthazar was closer than any other family member, and he could thank this man for more than just the house that was bequeathed to him when the great man passed away.  Some of his first historical tomes were gifted to him from Balthazar, and unlike the rest of his family he encouraged Cas in his interests.  

 

Balthazar even wrote a very persuasive letter of recommendation to the _dean and head of the Department of Anthropology  (a personal friend of Balthazar’s) at Yale University_.  It was there that Castiel received his PhD in Biological Anthropology, majoring in Primatology and Human Behavioural Ecology along with a Masters in Evolutionary Biology.  His thesis on Alpha/Beta/Omega evolution had made waves through the academic community and Castiel became widely published, speaking at conferences around the world and taking a coveted teaching position at Yale.  A true figure head in his chosen area of study.

 

Castiel had taken a very early retirement, himself, much to the ire of his colleagues, not to mention his family.  However he would not be swayed on his decision, he had reached a time in his life where he wanted to work solely on his passion.  The dream of a nine year old child forever crowding his mind.  His life’s obsession would be poured into his book, _Redefining the Origin of Evolution._

He moved to Trinity soon after his retirement was confirmed.  Balthazar had seen to it in his will, being that Castiel was the sole benefactor, that he would never have to work a day in his life, which gave him the unique opportunity to do this work without worries over grants or publisher interest.  

 

The discoveries Cas was making were going to blow all old theories out of the water, this was going to change how people saw evolution, it was literally going to change history.

 

And this was why Cas had to live by a strict routine.  

 

He would get up each morning, slipping on a pair of shorts and a shirt and take off for his morning jog.  The time elapsed during his exercise was the only factor to change by the day depending on how late he’d worked hunched over his desk the previous night would influence how far he pushed himself.  His runs would work like meditation, clearing his mind and slowly releasing the tension and knots that had gathered in his shoulders and back over the preceding day.

 

He would get home, make himself some breakfast and get started on his research.  He had been going along this line for two years now, so immersed in his work that the town of Trinity was still all but a mystery to him.  

 

All that changed last Christmas when his brother Gabriel, the only one of his brothers he truly enjoyed the company of, (and his only omega sibling); was staying with him.  

 

Apparently, his people skills had up and left somewhere over the past six months since he’d last seen his brother, and he’d been persuaded to “get amongst the common folk” at least once a day.  

 

Cas didn’t enjoy conversation at the best of times, much preferring the company of his books and his historical figures to that of the _‘common folk’_ as his brother had so elegantly put it.  However, he had to admit once he started his new daily ritual of having breakfast at _Benny’s_ , the quaint diner in town, he became quite fond of the familiar faces. Simple small talk with one of the waitresses was nice, and even the proprietor, an alpha named Benny, (the diners namesake he supposed) was starting to become what some might call a friend.

 

He would take his latest research with him each day, walking from his house and settling into the same seat.  What can he say, he’s a creature of habit.  He didn’t even need to order now. The waitress, her name was Charlie, would come over with a cheery smile, placing his coffee with cream and sugar down beside him, and soon his breakfast of pancakes and bacon would be set down in front of him.  

 

Even the strange creature that went by the name of Meg would treat him with an odd kind of fondness, always taking his payment and his tip with a smile and a “Thank you, Clarence.”  The nickname made no sense to him, but he felt that having a nickname surely meant he was doing something right. After all, that’s what he’d read friends do.

 

The easiness of his daily routine had changed just over a month ago.  

 

It started subtly, Cas would find himself at the diner full of worry and anxiety for something he couldn’t put his finger on.  His hands running through his hair more often than usual, and when he’d get home, the reflection looking back in the mirror would look thoroughly wrecked.

 

Somedays he’d be fine, eating his breakfast with vigor and avidly diving into whatever book his nose happened to be in.  Other days he couldn’t keep his attention on anything, feeling antsy, no longer anxious but rather an increased heartbeat much like after his run, with the idea of chasing something feeling incredibly exciting.  

 

Castiel berated himself those days, stamping down his alpha with a cold shower; he would not, _absolutely not_ start to fantasize about chasing anything or anyone.   _Anyone_? How could he be thinking along these lines at all, it was just ridiculous.

 

And in this manner, things went from bad to worse.

 

A few days before Thanksgiving, with the holiday season creeping up on him at an alarming rate, Cas found the diner packed full.  Luckily, his table had just freed up, however it had yet to be cleared.  

 

Cas spied Meg rushing around looking completely frazzled, so he gave her a kind smile as she bustled past him, and a wave to indicate he was happy to wait.  He carefully piled up the plates around him and pushed them to the end of the table for easy access.

 

He had bought perhaps an unnecessarily large amount of books and papers with him today, but he was teetering on the precipice of some huge key point and he just wasn’t sure where he wanted to look next.  Each book and paper was extremely important and the materials just had to come along with him for breakfast.

 

Pulling the book from the top of the pile, Castiel took a moment to center himself.  The mayhem of the diner had been rather distracting, and it wasn’t until he truly stopped that something strange started to hit him.  Like a wave crashing down upon him, he picked up the scent of the most intoxicating enticing thing he’d ever smelled.

 

It was as if he was wrapped in a forest, burrowed in a nest of pine and autumn leaves.  The scent was tinged with a layer of deep fear, that had a growl falling from Castiel’s lips before he could stop himself.  

 

He zoned out, giving into his primitive instincts, he could feel his wolf raise up from under his skin, bristling just under the surface. It was trying to get out trying to run - _to chase_ \- what was his.  

 

His heartbeat was racing, it was all he could hear, the thrumming echoing loud in his ears.  He could feel the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, and (god forbid) anyone laid a hand on him right now, as he was doing his very best to keep his lips closed to hide the teeth he wanted to bare to the world.

 

There was a crash somewhere behind him, that swiftly brought him back to himself.  His mind reeling where he sat, his fingers were gripping the table top, knuckles white.  He could feel his erection throbbing tightly in his pants, as a drop of sweat rolled down his forehead and into his eye.

 

All of a sudden he couldn’t be here, he couldn’t be in this diner where at any minute he could lose his cool.  Being out of control like this was one of his worst nightmares.

 

In a mad dash, he gathered his papers and rushed out the door almost knocking over an elderly omega walking in the front door.  He could hear the shouts of anger coming from behind him, however he couldn’t stop, not now that he was out of and away from that intoxicating scent.

 

It still clung to him, it scorched the insides of his nostrils like the tendrils of a forest fire, he had to get home right this minute.  

 

Castiel hurried as fast as he could down Main Street with his big pile of books and papers, he was cursing his inability to leave a single piece of research behind this morning.  His sole focus was getting back to the safety of his home.  

  
Somewhere in the back of his mind the sound of a horn resonated in his ears, but this wasn’t the time to turn and see what caused the ruckus, his eyes stayed focused on their goal to return him home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for your patience with me on this, I had intended for this chapter to be slightly longer, however I wanted to get it out to you all to keep the momentum going. I hope you enjoyed see a bit of Cas!
> 
> If you didn't see already, I have had some artwork added to Chapter 6, done by the amazing [Beestiels](http://beestiels.tumblr.com/) Here's [a link](http://beestiels.tumblr.com/post/129039003013/beestiels-commission-for-whataboutthefish-d) to it on tumblr in case you want to share!


	10. Chapter 10

So this is a dreaded author update chapter, not a real chapter.

I am very, very sorry to be doing this to you all.

Let me start by saying that all the comments, kudos and subscriptions to this fic have been above and beyond anything I could have ever imagined... and for that I am so very grateful to you all.

I started writing this with little to no writing experience, with nothing but an idea in my head wanting to get out.

This fic has turned into something that I want to give my very best to, and over the nine chapters I feel I have finally found my voice as a writer.

Having said this I hope you will understand my need to tell you the next part, and I really do hope that no one hates me for this, because at the end of the day it's going to be for the good of the story.

I have decided that I will be removing this fic from AO3 until it is a complete piece of work, as you probably can already tell, this fic has many layers, and even with the help of a story board I feel as though, as the time goes on there may be things in previous chapters that I will want to change slightly or add to.

Like I said this will all be for the greater good of this story which has become a child to me.

Other factors have played into this decision, I have been going through some fairly serious health issues, both physical illness and mental health. I have found myself in the position where I have to move back home to my parent's house so that I can have the support I currently need. It sounds stupid to say, but I have massive anxiety regarding updating this story in a timely manner and in turn that anxiety just sucks my creativity away. I guess it's the perfectionist in me...

So here we are. I do hope that you will all join me on this journey again when I am finished. I will be updating on my progress over on Tumblr, I'm Whataboutthefish over there, so anyone that wants to keep up please come find me.  

My ask box is always open, I love getting messages and just getting to know all the wonderful people in our fandom!  So please come and lets be friends.

Thank you for reading, and support this story.  Sorry for letting you all down.

All the love 

Fishie xoxo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [My Tumblr](http://whataboutthefish.tumblr.com/)


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